Break Through
by FakeAlbino
Summary: Kyoko contacts her mother, unaware that Saena was awaiting the opportunity to meet. The ramifications become too much for Kyoko to bare alone and Ren does not hesitate to offer a helping hand. How will she react to his kindness? How will Ren protect not only her, but her heart? This emotion packed FF forces Kyoko to break through the darkness and step into the light, but not alone.
1. Contact

**Jeeze. I cant believe I haven't written anything in so long. I guess I just got bored and decided to do this again. I hope you enjoy :) Please let me know what you think. More to come! This takes places when the manga currently is- Kyoko admits to Lory that she loves Ren and they are now in Guam with Ren as disguise as Corn. Just so you know, sentences that are _italicized _are people's thoughts. **

* * *

"President?" Lory Takarada's assistant entered with a tray carrying a message from the front desk. "This has just arrived, sir."

Lory took the memo with a peculiar sense of dread, and his fears were confirmed as he read it. "I see. Is she still at the front desk?" _I should have known this would happen._

His cloaked assistant bowed deeply "No sir. She has already returned."

"Thank you" Lory sighed as he looked out his office windows and into the horizon, looking for hope of a peaceful ending to a potentially nasty situation. _I hope you can handle this one, Ren._

* * *

"Kyoko-chan… Would you like me to teach you how adults kiss?" Ren, who is disguised as Corn, deadpanned. "That was quite pathetic."

Kyoko blushed furiously and shook her head with all her might "absolutely NOT!" _How could I ever do that to while he looks so much like… him! _"A kiss can simply be the touching of lips! That should be sufficient in breaking the curse."

Corn smiled "Indeed…" _I have to stop… I don't want to upset her again. Besides… What she said was correct. All that's happened- even Rick's death has led to this. To her. _"And I thank you for that. It seems it worked."

Kyoko beamed while her blush still clung to her cheeks. "Tha-" she started as she was cut off by her phone vibrating, shaking her vigorously. "Ah. Sorry." She answered her phone and wandered out of ear shot. "Hello?"

"_Hello? Kyoko-chan? Where are you? I called for your room at the hotel and you did not answer. I thought I'd see if your phone worked over here."_

Kyoko shrieked "I am so sorry! I couldn't help myself and took a walk on the beach, but I lost track of time!"

"_It's fine. I spoke to Ren-chan and he is free for dinner with us tonight." If only he would answer his phone!_ _"We can meet in two hours."_

Kyoko bowed on instinct, though she knew make-up artist Jelly Woods, also known to Kyoko as Muse, cannot see her. "I understand. I will be there!"

They then hung up and Kyoko turned around to tell Corn of her departure, only to find him missing. "Corn…?" She walked to where he was before and discovered a note let behind in his place. *Thank you for saving me, Kyoko-chan. We will see each other again someday. –Corn* A tear streamed down her face as she realized her favorite fairy prince was gone. "Goodbye…"

* * *

Ren arrived at the hotel and quickly located Muse, knowing he had been gone much longer than expected.

"Ren-chan! There you are! I have been trying to contact you all day. Come on, we don't have much time to change your hair back to normal."

Ren and Muse walked out of the lobby and to her trailer, passing the man at the reception desk was speaking loudly, trying and failing to calm the person on the other end. "I apologize, but there is nothing I can do as she is not currently in her room. As soon as she arrives, I will gladly leave her a mess-", he didn't get to finish as the other person hung up. He sighed and simply wrote down a memo to keep an eye out for a Kyoko Mogami-sama.

* * *

Kyoko slowly made her way back to her hotel, contemplating all that had transpired just a short time ago. She walked into the lobby and was immediately hailed by the receptionist.

"Excuse me, miss. This has arrived for you a short while ago, and someone has been calling frequently trying to reach you." He handed her an envelope.

She had anticipated the delivery, but she had not expected anyone to need to call her. "May I ask who it was that called?"

"I was not able to get a name, but it was an older woman who sounded quite upset."

Kyoko blanched but shook it off. _It couldn't be. She wouldn't care enough to call. _She bowed to the receptionist and returned to her room to inspect her parcel. She looked at it until she saw the one thing she was looking for. _Her_ signature. Kyoko's body shook involuntary, _it's okay. She signed it. That's all she needed to do and that's all she will do._

Kyoko shook off her sudden mood and decided to get ready for dinner with Muse and Tsuruga-san. She blushed, realizing that it will be the first time she should see him since admitting out loud to someone that she loves him. _I really hope the president hasn't told him anything!_

* * *

Dinner passed without any hitches, but Ren noticed that Kyoko was acting strangely. She brushed it off as jet lag, but he knew her too well to fall for it. He decided to walk her back to her room in hopes of a moment alone with her. He wondered if she didn't truly realize that he was Corn.

"Mogami-san." He stopped walking and waited for her to turn to face him.

She froze. "Y-yes!?" She stammered, realizing she was contemplating her parcel again.

"Is everything okay?" He stared in her eyes, hoping to see the truth. "You've been acting strangely all evening."

She realized her mistake of not entering acting mode. She started to refute his claim but stopped, suddenly deflated and gave up on her calm, collected composure. "I'm sorry. I just... I received a reply for my passport request... which requires a parent's signature."

Upon realizing just what that meant, Ren struggled to maintain an air of confusion. Tsuruga Ren was not supposed to know what Fairy Prince Corn knew- just how much hearing from _that _woman would hurt this girl. "Your mother?"

Her face said all he needed to know- Kyoko's mother had contacted her for the first time in years.

"I haven't heard from her in a long time. I sent her a request for a signature to get my passport, but I didn't expect to get a reply so soon…" _or at all. _Kyoko's shoulders slumped, "I'm sorry for acting like this."

Ren shook his head "Don't be." They finished their walk to her room and he bidded her a goodnight. Returning to his room, Ren contemplated their day and the bomb that had been dropped on Kyoko.

In Kyoko's room, she had been in the middle of preparing for bed when her phone vibrated. Her caller ID showed that it was Lory Takarada. "Hello?"

"_Good evening, Mogami-san."_

"Good evening."

"_I know this is late, but I thought you might want to know. Your mother has been repeatedly trying to get in contact with you here at the office."_ Lory paused, _"Mogami-kun, be prepared. She will come when you return."_

Kyoko sighed, "I understand. Thank you for letting me know." _So she's looking there too... What's she going to do? What does she want?_

"_Mogami-kun."_ Lory drew her back to the here and now. _"I know this is difficult, but you don't have to deal with this alone."_

She didn't respond and they hung up while she fought the fear overcoming her as a shiver ran up her spine. She walked over to her luggage and found a small purse that held the only thing that could help her feel better- safer. _Corn…_

* * *

"Setsu." His voice drew her out of the spell she was in as he patted her head.

"Brother…"

"You look tired…" Cain states, having noticed the dark circles under her eyes. "Go wait in our dressing room, I won't be long." He moved his hand to her cheek and ran his thumb under her eye, tracing the mark darkening her face. _She must have been up all night._

Setsu leaned her head into his hand and smiled, "I won't miss my brother in action."

"Setsu." His expression said it all. "Go… I'll come find you when I'm done."

True to character, Setsu pouted and crossed her arms, unwilling to move. However, she knew better than to defy her brother and turned around to return to their dressing room.

"Wait." Cain grabbed her arm to force her to face him so that he could lean in and kiss her on the cheek. "Thank you."

Setsu clenched her fist, fighting back Kyoko's reactions so that she didn't slip up again. _The President may have found out, but Ren never will._ She managed to smile, "yeah yeah," she nonchalantly flipped her hand in front of him to create distance between them and walked away.

* * *

"_There you are, my ungrateful child," she sneered down at young Kyoko. "How dare you embarrass me like this!?" She threw Kyoko's tests at her, causing Kyoko to flinch at the harshness of her words._

Setsu awoke with a start as Cain entered the room, the smell of the ocean still clung to him.

"How was it?" Setsu acted as if she was stretching while she wiped her stray tears away and observed her beloved brother. That day they worked on shooting a fighting scene on the beach, one Cain enjoyed. Bits of sand fell from him with every move he made and he flopped down beside her on the couch she was sitting up on.

"Sandy," Cain responded with his typical one-word answer.

Setsu chuckled and picked stray bits of shells out of his hair while Cain sighed and leaned on her, resting his eyes after a long day in the sun. Setsu continued to play with his hair as he secretly relished her touch. "What did you dream about?" he asked so nonchalantly that Setsu believed she must have made it up. Cain sat up to look at her, brushing away a tear she missed. He examined her face, "Why were you crying?"

Setsu looked away from him, "It was nothing, just a bad dream."

Cain continued to watch her and brought his hand to her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Mogami-san"

Kyoko was shocked. _Tsuruga-san… He broke character. Why now...? _She looked away again, not able to look in the eyes that made her want to let everything she's held back, out.

"Kyoko-san" he said her name hesitantly. She looked up at him, startled by hearing her name. "It'll be okay."

Tears sprang to her eyes as a sob escaped her throat. "I-I'm s-s-sorry…" she tried to apologize for her outrageous behavior.

Ren gently embraced her, "Don't be… Don't ever be."


	2. Focus

**Thanks for reading my story everyone :) Which is honestly just a daydream of mine while I read the story haha. I know I've updated a lot lately but I'll slow down soon. I was just freaking out today after seeing what happens in chapter 211! I didn't think it would be great since we already got the mini kiss from Kyoko but BOY was I wrong :P Anyway, please leave comments and ideas you think might work pretty well. Thanks!**

* * *

_"Kyoko-san" Ren said her name hesitantly. She looked up at him, startled by hearing her name. "It'll be okay."_

_Tears sprang to her eyes as a sob escaped her throat. "I-I'm s-s-sorry…" she tried to apologize for her outrageous behavior._

_Ren gently embraced her, "Don't be… Don't ever be."_

* * *

Kyoko slightly blushed as she remembered Ren's warmth. Refusing to sit in the dressing room while Cain worked, Setsu stood in the sidelines to watch him in action. The sun shone down relentlessly and Setsu wondered how they all could work all day long without much rest. She wandered away to grab a bottle of water for her brother.

_I can at least do this much for him,_ Setsu thought to herself.

Upon her return, the director calls cut and everyone let out a sigh of relief as they remained on edge every time Cain and Murasame-san acted as opposites. Cain noticed Setsu and immediately went to her side. Taking the water from her, he smiled and patted her head in thanks.

Setsu sighed in frustration and crossed her arms, "I'm tired of this place. We should just return home and let them do what they want without you."

"If you're tired then go sit in the shade." Cain took his hand away. "Don't become ill because of me."

"I'm just glad we're almost done with this movie. I'm tired of sharing my brother with everyone." Setsu then went to go sit in the shade despite her resistance in leaving her brother behind to work in the heat.

The day drug on until the sun started to go down, and noticing that they were losing light quickly, the crew called a wrap for the day. Setsu and Cain returned to their room where she forced him to take a shower before her to get all of the sand off of him. Once she is alone, Setsu checked her phone in case the President contacted her again. She breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that he hadn't.

_Focus. You're working. Nothing is going to happen here. _Setsu slapped her cheeks, and in an attempt to cheer herself up she began making a quick dinner and completed it just before Cain stepped out of the bathroom after his long, hot shower. He started walking straight for his bed, but Setsu grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the table.

"Eat. You're not allowed to go to bed until you eat." Setsu commanded and went to take her own shower. Once she is done, she smiled at seeing the empty bowl and plate Cain had finished. "Good boy."

* * *

Setsu woke in the early morning and being unable to go back to sleep, decided to go for a walk on the beach. Taking some normal clothes with her, she found a public bathroom to change from Setsu to Kyoko so that no one would recognize her coming from their hotel room. She set out after hiding her belongings behind a toilet.

She decided to return to where she met Corn again and wished he would pop out of the water again. _I hope you're doing well…_ She looked at the water and walked up to it until the water rushed over her feet. She quickly looked around to make sure no one was there. Removing her covering, Kyoko entered the water and sunk down into the quiet, peaceful world below. _No wonder you wanted to come here._ Kyoko smiled knowing that Corn must be doing well since that the curse was broken. _If only my curse would end too._

Cain woke up and looked at Setsu's empty bed. It was only 7:30 am and he was not due on set until 10:00 am, so he got up and decided to go look for her.

The beach was empty due to the early hours so he started looking for her there. Eventually he made his way to where he met Kyoko as Corn/Kuon. He began to walk away until he saw Kyoko sitting on the sand a short distance from him.

Kyoko watched as the sunrise made the world much brighter than it had been when she left the room.

Cain, enamored with the scene before him, could not help but stare at her. He was suddenly grateful it was so early for if anyone else had seen her like this, as beautiful as she looked in that moment, he would not have handled it well.

Then he noticed her expression.

Kyoko remembered all the times her heart had been hurt: First was when her mother turned her back on her because of her failure; And then when Shotaro had betrayed her. Though she was almost thankful it all happened because she was able to meet Ren, she still felt the sting of love being broken. It was why she would not confess her love to Ren. She would never be able to stand rejection from him, it would be so much worse than what she had already experienced. Before she realized it, her love had grown to be too much.

A tear streamed down her cheek. Knowing he could not comfort her, Cain turned and headed back for the hotel.

Kyoko changed back into Setsu and returned to their room to find Cain lounging in a chair.

"I'm back. I'll make breakfast now." Setsu began to grab ingredients but Cain got up and hugged her from behind. "Brother?"

"You shouldn't leave so early." Like a puppy, he nuzzled her.

Setsu turned around and returned the embrace, "I didn't think you would wake up for a while. Sorry." They released each other, and Setsu began to walk away due to being overcome with her emotions. "I'm going to take a shower. At least eat something small."

* * *

**-A Week Later-**

Cain and Setsu returned to LME to meet with the President. Muse was already there so that they could return to their normal looks.

"Mogami-kun, I'd like to speak with you for a moment." Lory announced.

Kyoko quickly bowed to Muse, who was still working on Ren, and went to speak with Lory. "President."

He handed her the messages that had been left while she was away. "These were left here from your mother."

Kyoko took them, but did not read them. "Thank you, sir."

Lory watched her curiously but didn't ask why she won't read them.

"Thank you for your help," Kyoko said with a bow and then left his office, leaving him behind to contemplate her actions. Sighing heavily, Lory went to check on Muse and Ren. Ren noticed that Kyoko is not with him and is alarmed to learn that she had left.

"Calm down. She'll be fine. If she can't handle this, then she can't grow." Lory looked out the window to the street below.

Ren balled his fists to contain his anger. He knew she could handle it, but he didn't like how badly she might get hurt. The girl he had spent time with on the beach as he pretended to be someone else, the girl whose kiss wiped away the darkness of his past, the girl who made him feel like life was worth living could be terribly hurt and he didn't know how to stop it.

* * *

"Cut! Ok, that's all for today. Good job everyone." The director of Box R called.

Kyoko snapped out of Natsu mode and went to her dressing room to gather her things and change. She found her co-workers murmuring and glancing at her as she made her way out of the studio. Standing at the entrance of the set was Ren, leaning against a wall to wait on her. When their eyes met, he walked over to her.

"I was nearby and thought you could use a ride home."

"T-Tsuruga-san, you don't have to do this!" Kyoko replied, completely flustered.

He smiled, "It's no problem at all."

She followed silently behind him to his car where they rode together without ever uttering a single sound. Once they arrived at Darumaya, Kyoko stepped out but does not walk inside. Instead, she turned to lean down and look at him.

"Thank you, Tsuruga-san." _For everything. _

"You're welcome, Mogami-san."

_Ah. He's back to my last name. _Kyoko smiled and walked inside while Ren watched to make sure she got in safely before pulling away.

_She seems okay. Good._ Ren gripped the steering wheel and tried to think of more ways to help her.

* * *

Kyoko let out a long yawn after another long day of work. She was walking through the lobby to get outside when she bumped into someone. The man began to help her up after she had fallen to the floor.

"Ah, my ba-" He stopped. "Kyoko."

Kyoko froze and looked up, "Shotaro."

Kyoko quickly stood up and turned to start to walk off, refusing any help from him.

"Hey!" Sho followed and stepped in front of her to cut off her escape. He crossed his arms and smirked at her. "Running away, eh?"

She shot a glare up at him, "I'm not running. I just have better things to be doing that standing here, talking to you. Now excuse me." She walked around him and almost made it to the door when she heard him call out to her: "Tell Tsuruga Ren 'hi' for me." Kyoko could hear the sarcasm and smirk in his voice without even looking at his expression, but she turned around to face him anyway. "And don't forget your promise."

"_I will serve as a waitress in your home for life if I fall for Tsuruga-san!" _Kyoko blanched as she remembered her own words she had shouted at Sho when she was angry in the parking garage after Ren had seem them together. Now she wished she had been able to control herself more than that. Seething, Kyoko shouted at Sho, "That's none of your business anymore!"

Sho bristled as anger and jealously rose up in him. He glanced around to find a few onlookers whispering his name so he quickly walked to Kyoko, roughly grabbed her hand and led her down a more deserted hallway. "Excuse me!?" he shouted at her as he flung her arm away.

Kyoko massaged her wrist and glared at him. "I said that it's none of your business what I do! I made that promise without thinking and I'm tired of letting you lead me into things like this. _You_ made all of this happen!" Kyoko gestured wildly around her, signifying her current situation. "I'm in Tokyo because you asked me to come with you. I entered show business because of your actions. Then you do all of this because someone besides you is making my heart move!?"

Sho trembled with anger upon hearing her say the words he never wanted to hear, nearly sending him into a fury. "_Move_!? He makes your heart _move_ now? Are you really that pathetic, that love is all that's on your mind?" Sho grabbed both of her arms and roughly pulls her closer. "You. Are. Mine."

Kyoko tried to shake him off, "let me go!" but she flinched as Sho squeezed tighter. He looked like he was about to say something else, but he didn't. Instead he finally let her go and turned his face away. "You are not to forget your promise, unless you really are that pathetic." He looked at her one last time. "I'll drag you back home myself if I have to." Finally, Sho left without another word

With his threat still hanging in the air, Kyoko backed up to the wall and slid her back down it until she was kneeling on the floor. _I've never seen him that angry before..._ she contemplated while looking down at the wrist he had grabbed moments before, which was still red and starting to bruise. She sighed and shook her head, dispelling his angry face from her mind before she shakily stood up to leave. _I'm glad I didn't tell him about mother._

* * *

Kyoko was sitting in her room, going over her script for Box R when her phone vibrated on her table. Now that his ID was in her phone, Kyoko is able to tell who it is before answering. "Hello?"

"_Ah. You're awake."_

Kyoko smiled, "Good evening, Tsuruga-san."

She could hear the smile in his voice when he responded. "_Good evening," _he said before pausing for a moment longer than normal.

"Um… Tsuruga-san? Was there something you needed?"

"_No… I just.. I wanted to make sure you were doing alright."_

Kyoko blushed and smiled again as her heart fluttered. _How did I ever resist this man's? _Her anger flared as she remembered her afternoon with Shotaro. _And how did I ever fall for _that_ guy?_

"_Um… Mogami-san?" _Ren beckoned as Kyoko still hadn't responded.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Yes, nothing significant had happened with work." Kyoko hastily replied with a salute although she knew he couldn't see. _Don't ruin the good mood because of _that _guy. _"I have been diligent so as to not bring trouble to others!"

"_I wasn't really asking about work… I was asking about you._" Ren replied.

"Ah… Yes... I am fine." She replied again, trying to calm down and not make a fool of herself.

_Good. She must not have seen her mother yet, _Ren thought to himself. "_I'm glad. Well then, it's late. We will be meeting tomorrow as Cain and Setsu so make sure to get some rest."_

"I understand. Goodnight then, Tsuruga-san."

"_Goodnight, Mogami-san."_

* * *

Cain was already inside their hotel room when Setsu opened the door and placed her bag on her bed. "Brother, you should go ahead and shower. I'll start dinner in a minute, I just need to unpack."

Cain looked over at her from where he was lounging and without a word, he stood and started walking to the bathroom. At Setsu reached for her bag, her long sleeves pulled back to reveal her bruised wrist. Cain immediately stopped and glared at the bruise. He gently but firmly took her hand in his and examined it before looking up at her.

"Where the hell did you get this?" He asked, seething.

Setsu did not automatically respond while she tried to think of a Setsu-appropriate explanation. Instead, she tried to withdraw her hand from his, but he tightened his grip slightly so that she was unsuccessful.

"Who the f*ck grabbed you?" Cain gave her a look that let her know that she was not getting away without answering him.

"Brother, stop. No one grabbed me. I simply tripped and landed on it wrong." She tried again to pull her hand away, but Cain lifted it up so that she could see for herself.

"Finger marks," is all he said, clearly not fooled. _I just talked to her last night and she said nothing happened. So where did this come from?_

Setsu looked away and whipped her hand out of his, exasperated from his questioning. "Fine. If you won't shower then I will." She quickly gathered some clothes from her bag and walked into the bathroom. She was removing her outer, long-sleeved vest when Cain busted in so that he could continue his questioning. He once again stopped to look at her and noticed grip marks on both arms from where Sho had also grabbed her.

Blood rushed from Setsu's face as she realized what his gaze was fixated on. _Crap! _"Brother!" She hastily tried to push him out of the bathroom, knowing full well that she was completely out of character. "Don't you know better than to enter a bathroom while a girl is bathing? Out! Out!"

Cain didn't budge as he continued to stare at her bruises. "Setsu…" Finally he looked up at her and with all hints of anger hidden, he speaks. "I'm sorry."

She was taken aback by is apology. "Sorry…? For what?" She paused. "You know I'm not really angry about you coming in here." Finally switching back into full Setsu-mode, she smirked, "In fact, you're free to join me in here any time."

He didn't seem to register her words as he reached up and touched her bruises. "I should have protected you," he said as he looked at her bruises once more. His anger was smoldering inside, but he didn't want to frighten her anymore than he already might have. He would do anything for this girl. _If only I wasn't so useless…_

Setsu's heart broke at the pain on her brother's face, so she brought her hand up to his cheek and made him look into her eyes again. "Brother… This isn't your fault. You…" Setsu looked down, not able to meet his eyes as too much of Kyoko was coming to the surface. "You already do so much for me. Just knowing you are here for me gives me strength… Your very existence is already enough to make me feel protected."

Cain looked at her, surprised by her warm words.

She looked back up at him, trying desperately to maintain Setsu's face. "I love you... brother."


	3. Meeting

**Here's another chapter! Sorry if it's not that great. I have a ton of finals right now so I'm a little overwhelmed. I hope you enjoy and review my story! Thanks! -Shimizu**

* * *

_Cain looked at her, surprised by her warm words._

_She looked back up at him, trying desperately to maintain Setsu's face. "I love you... brother."_

* * *

Setsu did her best to maintain her cool demeanor even though she felt like her heart would burst. She removed her hand from his cheek and watched for Cain's reaction, but he was frozen. _That's odd… _"Brother? Did you hear me?"

Cain realized his mistake as he should have responded right away with an embrace or something someone with a sister-complex would do. He sighed, _Right… She is saying it as Setsu. There's no way Mogami-san would say those words._

Perplexed about Cain's continued silence, Setsu touched his arm with her injured wrist's hand without thinking. Her wrist caught Cain's eye and he is reminded about why all of this was happening in the first place.

"Setsu… Tell me what happened." He wasn't going to give up.

Setsu sighed in frustration, "Stupid brother. Fine." She walked out of the bathroom and over to her bed to sit down, crossing her arms to express her annoyance. "Nothing really happened. A bug got mad and bit me," is all she said.

_Bug…? Ah. She doesn't mean… _him. Cain clenched his fist as realization dawned on him. _Finger marks... a bug… It has to be. _"So you're still talking to _him_."

"Brother just stop." Tired of his accusations, Setsu abruptly stood and walked to Cain to take his face in her hands. "I handled it. What happened does not matter. I'm here, I'm okay, and I just told you I love you and you ignored me." She dropped her hands and pouted. "I see my love isn't important to you…" Setsu attempted a last-ditch effort to get him off topic, though she was moving onto a topic that was equally as dangerous to her.

It worked. Cain, surprised by her words, grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sorry, Setsu. You know I love you."

Setsu's heart sped up, so she placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed away so she could create a bit of distance between the two of them. _He'll feel my heart race like this! _She smiled up at him "Good."

* * *

Setsu was taking a shower while Cain sat on his bed in deep thought. Her bruise marks flashed through his mind and he flinched as his anger threatened to boil over. _He_ had hurt her. Fuwa Sho had dared to grab her hard enough to bruise her in multiple places. He remembered his conversation with Sho when they were in the parking garage and his fist clenched. _If he ever touches her again… _He gasped. He had finally decided to forgive his actions as Kuon, but he could never forgive himself for repeating them. Cain sighed deeply, trying to release his anger. _Still…_

Setsu stepped out of the bathroom then and cut off his train of thought. "We should get to bed. It's too late for dinner and we have to get up early, so I'll just make breakfast in the morning."

Cain laid down on his bed without saying anything, pulled his covers over him and pretended to go to sleep. Setsu rolled her eyes with a chuckle at her brother's sleeping habits. _Why does he always sleep in his clothes? _She climbed into bed herself and, after erasing the day's events from her mind, drifted to sleep.

* * *

It was late the next day when the filming was finally finished for the day and Cain and Setsu met with Muse to have their disguises removed.

"What's with these dark circles, Kyoko-chan?" Muse tutted. "Your image is everything! You have to take better care of yourself."

Kyoko forced a laugh and simply agreed with her admonishing. "I'll keep that in mind." _It's been a rough few weeks… _

"Anyway, I'm done. We won't meet for a week so take care of yourself until then. I expect to see you better!"

Kyoko bowed her thanks and stepped out of the van where she saw that Ren was leaning against his car, waiting on her. "I thought you could use a lift because it's so late." He opened the passenger door that he was leaning on for her.

Kyoko flushed lightly and steps into the car. "Thank you, Tsuruga-san."

He smiled sweetly down at her. "It's no problem at all."

The ride to her home was filled with light conversation about work plans and everyday things, a sure sign that the mood between the two of them had completely lightened after their debacle the previous night. He pulled up beside where she is staying and was about to say goodbye when he looked past Kyoko's shoulder and saw someone standing outside the restaurant.

"Who's that?" Ren asked cautiously. The restaurant was closed so there should not have been anyone strange loitering around the area. He didn't want Kyoko to get out if it was someone dangerous.

"Eh?" Kyoko turned in her seat and froze. "M-Mother…" _I would recognize her anywhere._

Ren blanched when he heard her proclamation. _No… Why is she here? _Kyoko opened the door and stepped out, causing Ren to slightly panic.

"Mogami-san! Wai-" His words were cut off by Kyoko closing the car door. She bowed to him as thanks and he was then able to see her visibly trembling. She turned around and walked to where her mother was standing. "Sh*t!" Ren gripped his steering wheel and slowly drove away, but stopped a block down. _I can't leave her like that!_ He turned his car off, got out and ran as quietly but quickly as possible back to where he dropped Kyoko off. He stopped just when he was able to hear their voices as he didn't want them to know he was there.

"So we finally get to meet. You've ignored my calls enough as is." Her mother spat out her words at Kyoko while she quickly stepped up to Kyoko to slap her across the face.

Kyoko's knees immediately gave out and she fell to the ground. Remaining there due to shock, she placed a hand to her stinging cheek as she looked up at her mother. Her whole body was trembling. "Mo-"

Her mother scoffed in disgust. "Don't call me that. Have you no shame? You're nothing but an embarrassment by doing something like becoming an actress. You always have been."

Still in shock, Kyoko was unable to respond. Ren was just beyond the wall between the house and the street, and he too was in shock. Suddenly, he heard a sob escape from Kyoko's throat and he rushed out without thinking. "Wait a minute!"


	4. Impact

**YAY! My finals are over, so I thought I'd write another quick chapter. I hope you enjoy :) Please continue to review my story. They help me more than you guys think. Thanks- Shimizu**

* * *

_"So we finally get to meet. You've ignored my calls enough as is." Her mother spits out her words at Kyoko. She quickly steps up to Kyoko and slaps her across the face._

_Kyoko's knees immediately give out and she falls to the ground. She touches a hand to her stinging cheek as she looks up at her mother in shock. Her whole body is trembling. "Mo-"_

_Her mother scoffs in disgust. "Don't call me that. Have you no shame? Doing something like becoming an actress. You're nothing but an embarrassment. You always have been."_

_Still in shock, Kyoko is unable to respond. Ren is still just beyond the wall between the house and the street, and he too is in shock. Suddenly, he hears a sob escape from Kyoko's throat and he immediately rushes out. "Wait a minute!"_

* * *

Everyone freezes, including Ren. _Sh*t… Without thinking… _Then he looks down at Kyoko, who was still trembling on the ground and holding her cheek. Once again, his anger flares. He straightens up and meets her mother's startled eyes.

"You… Ren Tsuruga? Why are you here?" Kyoko's mother is surprised by the sudden appearance of Japan's number one man. She had seen them together in Dark Moon, but she didn't think they would actually be close.

Ren closes his eyes to tame his anger. _Behave… This is her mother. _Ren clenches his fists and stiffly bows. "Ma'am. I apologize, but I was worried about my junior getting inside her house safely" he easily lies.

Finally, Kyoko seems to come back to life. _Wha- Tsuruga-san!? _She glances up at him and, though he is still in a bow, their eyes meet. Ren's eyes then land on her swollen cheek. _Eh…? _Kyoko gasps lightly as she observes Ren's expression- one she knows all too well. Only this time, she senses that it isn't directed at her. _But… Why?_

Kyoko's mother crosses her arms in defense, knowing he must have heard their little confrontation. "Well as you can see, she's safe. You can go now."

"I see…" Ren takes a deep breath and stands straight. _I'm not leaving yet…_ "I'm sorry, I am being rude. My name is Ren Tsuruga. I work with Mogami-san on occasion." He extends his hand to her.

She hesitates, sizing him up. _Maybe he didn't hear all of it then… But, he did jump out. I don't know… _She takes his hand to shake it. "Saena Mogami."

Kyoko stands up then and squares her shoulders. _What am I doing? _"I'm sorry mother, but I have to go" she says although she is unable to meet her eyes. She turns to Ren. "May I speak to you for a minute?"

"Wait a min-" Saena starts, but Ren cuts her off.

"Of course, Moga- No. You're both Mogami-san, so… Kyoko-san?" Ren smiles his fake smile. He would do anything to separate Kyoko from her mother right now. _Plus distractions never hurt…_

Hearing her name makes Kyoko jump and blush. _Wah!_ "P-P-Please come in!" _Mother is here… Get it together._ She leads Ren inside Darumaya.

Ren turns to close the door behind them and lets his gentlemanly façade fade as he meets Saena's eyes. She is startled by his expression and narrows her eyes at him.

_So he did hear then…_

With the door closed and Kyoko is safe, Ren lets out a sigh and turns to face Kyoko's questions. Surely she would wonder why he's here when she clearly saw him drive away. However he stops when he sees Kyoko sitting at a table, hunched over in depression as she once again touches her still-stinging cheek.

"Kyoko…" Ren whispers. He looks around and finds their fridge. He grabs a kitchen towel, wraps some ice in it and walks over to crouch down in front of Kyoko. He gently takes her hand from her cheek and places the towel-wrapped ice in her hand. Their eyes meet, but neither says a word. He places her hand back against her cheek so the ice can cool it and lets his hand continue to rest over hers.

She continues to just watch Ren. _I'm making Tsuruga-san worry… I have to cheer up. _Kyoko smiles and takes the towel away from her cheek, making Ren's hand drop from hers. "Don't worry, I'm okay. I'm sorry you had to see something so embarrassing."

Ren is not fooled by her acting and she can feel his eyes scrutinizing her face. Once more, his eyes land on her cheek. _Good… It's not as puffy. But it's still so red. _He can still hear the sound of her mother's hand landing on her cheek and he flinches at the memory. He reaches up and lightly strokes her cheek.

"I'm fine! Really!" Kyoko says as brightly as she can. Her acting is then betrayed by her tears. "Eh? That's weird." She wipes the tears away. "I don't know why I'm crying. It's no big deal, really." _Stop… Stop crying. Stop! _She continues to furiously wipe her tears away as she begins to tremble once more.

Ren still has a hand on her cheek and he catches her next tear before she can wipe it away. "Be careful. You'll hurt your cheek." He brings his other hand up to cup her face as he looks into her eyes. He sees the torment in them. "It's okay. Just cry." Seeing her like this is killing him inside and renews his anger for her mother.

Kyoko stares into his eyes and finally gives up. She drops her head and lets her tears flow freely. Ren pulls her into an embrace and she grips his shirt as she continues to cry into him. "I-I'm s-s-sorry…" she manages to say through her sobs. "Y-your sh-shirt."

Ren softly chuckles. _She would worry about that right now. _"It's fine… Don't worry about that."

Kyoko continues to cry as Ren continues to hold her. Again, neither one of them says anything. Eventually she falls asleep and one of the owners of Darumaya, Okami, comes down to see what the commotion is about. Though she is startled to see Ren holding a sleeping Kyoko, she simply points him to Kyoko's room and he carries her to her bed. He laughs quietly. _If she knew I did this, she would never let herself live it down. _He watches her sleep soundly for a moment before he leaves her room. He bows goodnight to Okami and makes his way back to his car. _At least she seems to have calmed down… _He grips his steering wheel as the memory of the slap comes back. _What can I do…?_ He grabs his phone.

* * *

Kyoko wakes with a start. _Eh? How did I get here? _She drowsily gets up and looks in the mirror. She takes in her swollen eyes and messy hair. _I look awful. _She suddenly remembers crying into Ren and blushes furiously. _Nooooo! What did I do!? _She swats away the memory as she wishes she could disappear. She sighs and decides to goes to bathe before she faces anyone with her face like that. She walks downstairs to find that Okami and her husband, Taisho, have made a big breakfast. They don't want to upset her further by asking what happened last night, so they attempt to cheer her up with the food. Of course, it works.

* * *

Kyoko makes her way to LME and she is informed that Lory has been looking for her. She checks her phone and sees that she has a missed call from him. She hits redial and Lory answers quickly.

"_Mogami-kun. Good morning."_

"Good morning, President."

He wastes no time. _"Could you come to my office sometime today? I have something I want to discuss with you." _

_Eh? _"Of course. I'm already in the building. Is now a bad time?"

"_It's fine. Come on up."_

They both hang up and Lory sighs. Ren had called him after leaving her house last night to talk about what happened. They both came up with a solution, but they figured she would not accept it easily.

A few minutes later Lory's assistant knocks on his door. "Sir, Mogami-sama has arrived. Shall I let her in?"

"Yes." Lory responds as he lights a cigar.

Kyoko comes in and bows to Lory. "Good morning."

Lory lets out a puff of smoke and asks her to sit. "I have something we need to discuss. I've thought of this before, but I think now is a good time with your rising popularity."

Kyoko just stands there, taking in his words. _Huh?_

Lory can see the confusion written on her face. He remembers his conversation with Ren the night before.

"_She won't accept it easily, but you have to get her to. She can't be left alone like tonight. If something like this happens again and no one is around to stop it…" Lory can almost hear Ren shudder. "I know you had mentioned it before, but I think it's time."_

Lory smiles at the memory of Ren's protectiveness. _At least he's using that anger for something constructive. _He looks back at Kyoko, who is still lost in confusion. "I want to assign you a manager."


	5. Taking Control

**Ask and you will receive! I tried to make a longer chapter. This took forever, but I enjoy it and it cures my boredom :) I hope you enjoy. Please review! I want to know what you think and if there are any changes I can make. Oh! And I hope the name of her manager isn't too weird. It took me an hour to pick out the names. **

* * *

_Lory lets out a puff of smoke and asks her to sit. "I have something we need to discuss. I've thought of this before, but I think now is a good time with your rising popularity."_

_Kyoko just stands there, taking in his words. Huh?_

_Lory can see the confusion written on her face. He remembers his conversation with Ren the night before._

_"She won't accept it easily, but you have to get her to. She can't be left alone like tonight. If something like this happens again and no one is around to stop it…" Lory can almost hear Ren shudder. "I know you had mentioned it before, but I think it's time."_

_Lory smiles at the memory of Ren's protectiveness. At least he's using that anger for something constructive. He looks back at Kyoko, who is still lost in confusion. "I want to assign you a manager."_

* * *

"Eh? I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right. Could you repeat that?" Kyoko was completely flustered. No way could she accept the help of a manager when she was such a newbie.

"A manager. I am going to assign one to you." Lory walks over to his desk a moves around a few folders of prospective managers for her. Kyoko notices that he was not asking her. He was telling her. "There are some good options. I'd like you to have a male. He'll offer more protection." _Definitely someone classy. Ren may have had a cool demeanor when I mentioned it, but it would make things more interesting._

"President, there's no such need! Not for someone like me!" Kyoko shouts. _It's unthinkable!_

"You've gained a lot of popularity lately. Especially with Box R about to air. People want to see what else the girl who played Mio can do." He picks one of the files up and examines it. "I was thinking of this one. Ryouta Sato. He's only 22, but he's been around the business for a few years so he knows how to take care of people." Lory looks back at Kyoko will a no-nonsense expression. "He'll be good for you."

Kyoko wants to say more, but gives up on resisting his order. She knows better by now. "Thank you for the consideration. I will leave the decision up to you" Kyoko assents with a polite bow. She sighs and glances as the folder still in his hands. _To think this would be happening already. I can understand someone like Tsuruga-san having Yashiro, but not me._

Lory smiles at his easy victory. "Good. I'll have him come up to meet you now. I had already spoken to him earlier about you."

_Eh!? Now? _Kyoko once again freaks out. _So fast… I wasn't expecting to meet him so soon._ "Y-Yes sir!"

Lory looks at his assistant that appears out of nowhere, and he leaves the room to retrieve Ryouta.

A short while later and Lory's assistant is back with a knock on his door. "Sir. I have retrieved Sato-sama."

"Let him in."

His assistant bows deeply and disappears. Moments later a tall man in a tailored dark gray suit with a black shirt steps in and bows in greeting. Kyoko is startled by how young he looks considering his sophisticated appearance. He looks handsome enough to even be a model on Ren's level. His dark brown hair is styled back to stay out of his face and, when he stands straight again, Kyoko notices his deep, dark chocolate brown eyes. Eyes that are currently curiously staring back in hers, waiting for a response to something she never heard.

She looks around, confused and embarrassed that she missed whatever was said. "What?"

Ryouta laughs, but its Lory who speaks first. "This is Kyoko Mogami."

Realizing that he must have been just introducing himself, Kyoko hastily bows and nearly shouts. "I apologize for being rude. I am Kyoko Mogami. Please take care of me!" She squeezes her eyes shut in embarrassment and hears Ryouta chuckle again.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiles kindly and Kyoko finally stands straight to meet his eyes once again.

"Alright you guys, Mogami-kun has work I believe so you can get to know each other on the way." Lory produces a set of keys and passes them to Ryouta. Ryouta takes them without question, but Kyoko voices her concern.

"Sir? What are those for?"

"A car, obviously. We don't expect you to always walk to locations. LME provides them for our stars' use." Lory responds simply.

Kyoko is about to speak up, but Ryouta speaks up first.

"If we don't leave, you'll be late. I have already received your schedule beforehand. You're due at Box R in an hour." Kyoko turns to look at him just in time to notice him placing a planner back in his suit's inner breast pocket.

She struggles to fully grasp everything that has happened in such a short time, but she gives up and walks out the door after bowing goodbye to Lory. Ryouta follows her and they both head down to LME's parking garage. Kyoko steals glances up at him, and Ryouta chuckles again.

"Don't worry, I'll stay out of your as much as possible. I'm just here to help." Ryouta finally speaks up as he senses Kyoko's depression growing while they get into their newly acquired car.

Kyoko snaps her head up and looks at him. "Wa- No! That's not it! I appreciate you being here. You will be very helpful." Kyoko's excited voice dies down and Ryouta glances over at her as he pulls out of the garage. "I'm sorry. I just haven't been in this business for long. I didn't expect to be assigned a manager so soon. I feel like you could have been put with someone better."

Ryouta smiles as he remembers Lory's warning about Kyoko's disposition. _She really is hard on herself, huh? I've seen her work._ He glances at her and tries to imagine her as the beautiful angel in Sho Fuwa's pv or the sophisticated Mio of Dark Moon. He shakes his head and laughs at the impossibility. _She's scary._

"Um… Sato-san?" Kyoko says when he doesn't respond. _Did I upset him? Does he want to agree? _Questions swirl in her mind as she puts herself back into a depression.

Ryouta laughs again at her expression. _Well… I'll never get bored. _"Ryou."

She is startled by his one word answer. "Eh?"

"We'll be working together from now on. People just call me Ryou, so please do the same." He smiles at her. "And you're better than you give yourself credit for."

Kyoko blushes and drops her head in embarrassment at his words, but she smiles and thanks him.

_Ooh?_ Ryouta observes her cute expression. _Hm…_

* * *

Finally, Ryouta and Kyoko arrive at the Box R filming location. They are filming outside again and they quickly arrive at the makeup trailer. Ryouta greets the makeup artists. They both blush at him and get to work on Kyoko after he steps out of the trailer. Even from outside can hear their squeals.

Sometime later, Kyoko steps out as Natsu. Ryouta, who was leaning against a tree for shade, notices her coming out and starts toward her. However, he stops when he takes in her appearance. He chuckles under his breath. _Scary indeed… _He finishes the distance between them. "You look good."

Now in Natsu mode, she smiles "Thanks." She starts walking toward the set with Ryouta following behind. When he and Kyoko greet the director, Kyoko's phone rings and she excuses herself and steps away to answer it.

"Ah! Good afternoon Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko snaps out of Natsu mode and blushes into her phone. Ryouta, now alone, notices her blush and raises his eye brows although she doesn't notice.

"How are you doing?_" _Ren asks. He was awake all night thinking about her.

"I'm doing fine. Thank you for asking." Kyoko drops her voice so hopefully no one can hear. Unfortunately for her, Ryouta still does. "Thank you for helping me last night…" _He had to of been the one to carry me upstairs and putting me in bed. I can't believe I made him do that!_

Hearing the embarrassment in her voice, Ren guesses she knows about being carried and smiles. _"_It's no problem at all. Besides, you were very light._"_

If Kyoko could explode, she would. Her worst fears were confirmed. "I-I-I'm so sorry!" She stops abruptly when she notices she's being too loud. Much more softly, she starts again. "I'm so sorry you had to do that. But thank you… It must have been because you were there that I was able to sleep peacefully after what happened…" Kyoko blushes again.

This time, its Ren's heart that wants to explode. _Ah… No. Don't get your hopes up now… _He tells himself. The words she just mumbled repeat in his mind and he smiles with a deep sense of happiness. _I love her… "_You're very welcome, Mogami-san._" _He uses her surname to try to distance his feelings from the moment. Otherwise, he fears they will come bubbling out after all that's happened.

Satisfied that she sounds okay, Ren lets Kyoko go. They both say their goodbyes and Kyoko turns around and notices a smiling Ryouta looking at her. She turns to stone.

"Tsuruga-san, huh? As in Ren Tsuruga?" Ryouta asks.

Kyoko unfreezes "Ah! Yes! He is my senior! We have worked together a few times!" Kyoko answers with a little too much energy.

"Mogami-san! We're ready for you!" One of the set workers calls, saving her.

Ryouta watches her as she gets back into Natsu mode and begins to work. He recalls her expression when speaking to Ren. _Interesting…_

* * *

At the end of the day, Ryouta drops Kyoko off at her house and sees her safely inside. As he walks back to the car, his phone rings with a strange number. "Hello?"

"_Hello. This is Ren Tsuruga. I apologize for calling so late and out of the blue, but I have something I would like to talk to you about."_

Ryouta is genuinely surprised and intrigued. _Ren Tsuruga? _"Ah yes, I heard Mogami-san speaking to you earlier. What can I help you with?" He responds in business mode, but a smirk is plastered on his face. _These two… They definitely have more than a senior/junior relationship._

"_Ah. I see. Well I think it would better to meet to talk about this face to face. It's concerning Mogami-san's safety."_

Ryouta is startled by this. _Her safety? _"What do you mean? Is she in danger?"

"_We can talk about that when we meet."_

Ren tells him where to go and soon they are sitting face to face in a small restaurant. It's late so it is mostly deserted.

Ren wastes no time. "So I've been told that you're Mogami-san's new manager."

"Yes. I am Ryouta Sato. I've been with LME for a few years so I know how to effectively take care of someone as their manager." Ryouta answers smoothly. _If her safety is in question, that's no problem._

Ren pauses as he studies Ryouta. He didn't enjoy the idea of some other man taking care of Kyoko. Naturally, he immediately cools to him. "I understand that. However, safety does not only pertain to keeping her from physical harm." _Although it does in this case also… _Ren contemplates as he remembers Kyoko getting slapped.

Ryouta waits for him to continue, confused as to where he was going with this.

"Something has happened recently. I won't go into too much detail, because it's not my place. But I want to make sure she will be okay. It's why I asked the President to assign her a manager." Ren sighs and tries to shake away his sullen mood.

Ryouta doesn't fail to take note that it was Ren who got him his job with Kyoko. However, he still doesn't respond.

"Someone from Mogami-san's past has shown up. Someone I would rather she not meet because of certain circumstances. Unfortunately, they did last night. I was there to stop it from escalating, but Mogami-san was shaken up by it. I would hate to imagine what would have happened if I had not been there to put an end to it..." Ren trails off and Ryouta raises an eye brow when Ren clenches his fists on the table. "But she'll be back."

"She?" Ryouta asks.

Ren looks right at him with a glare. Ryouta fights an involuntary shiver at his expression. _If looks could kill… I'm definitely right about their relationship being deeper than they let on._

"Yes… It is a female." Ren's knuckles turn white.

"Well… I will do my best to watch out for Mogami-san. It would help if I knew who I had to keep my eye out for, but I won't let Mogami-san out of my sight as long as I can help it." Ryouta responded calmly, a stark contrast to the intense atmosphere Ren was putting off.

Once again, Ren cringed at the idea of this man protecting Kyoko. _Once again, I'm unable to be the one to protect her… _he thinks as he recalls the incident with Reino of Vie Ghoul. He stands and looks down at Ryouta. "Thank you for looking out for Kyoko." He pointedly says her name, but he curses himself for acting this was. He is not so much angry at Ryouta as he is himself.

Ryouta chuckles at the ice in Ren's voice. "She's lucky to have such a protective senior in the company." As he also stands, he smiles and decides to test Ren's buttons "Thank you for getting me this job with _Kyoko_. I will be sure to take good care of her."

Catching on, Ren quickly reverts to his typical gentlemanly smile. Deep inside he is seething, but all that really matters to him is Kyoko's safety. "I appreciate that. I should be going. Thank you for meeting with me. Goodnight." Ren quickly leaves.

Ryouta chokes back laughter. _So that's how it is… _Ryouta gathers his suit jacket. _Actors... Always hiding their true faces._

* * *

_"So we finally get to meet. You've ignored my calls enough as is." Her mother spits out her words at Kyoko. She quickly steps up to Kyoko and slaps her across the face._

_Kyoko's knees immediately give out and she falls to the ground. She touches a hand to her stinging cheek as she looks up at her mother in shock. Her whole body is trembling. "Mo-"_

_Her mother scoffs in disgust. "Don't call me that. Have you no shame? Doing something like becoming an actress. You're nothing but an embarrassment. You always have been."_

_Her mother steps up to her and kneels down in front of Kyoko. She brings her hand back for another slap._

Kyoko wakes up early with a gasp as her phone rings loudly. She waits a moment for her heart to calm before she answers it.

_"Good morning, Mogami-san. I will be there in 30 minutes. According to your schedule, you are due to play Bo in two hours. I thought we could stop for a quick breakfast beforehand." _Ryouta is all business.

Kyoko pauses before answering. "I understand... I will meet you out front of Darumaya." Ryouta can tell something is wrong by her voice, but chooses not to ask.

Thirty minutes later Ryouta shows up and Kyoko is waiting outside for him. She enters the car and Ryouta looks at her disapprovingly.

"You shouldn't wait alone outside."

"Eh? Why not?" Kyoko asks confusingly.

Realizing that she doesn't know that he knows anything about what is going on, Ryouta tries a different tactic. "The sun. It's bright right now. If I had been late, you could've burned. Gotten dehydrated. Anything. You're a star now- you have to take care of yourself." _Hopefully she's as gullible as I've heard..._

Kyoko bows as deeply as the car will allow and quickly apologizes. "I'm so sorry! I will be better about things like that!"

_She is... _Ryouta chuckles.

* * *

They arrive at the studio and Ryouta waits outside the dressing room while Kyoko changes into Bo. He's double checking his planner out of boredom when he notices Ren walking down the hallway with Yashiro. Their eyes meet and Ren makes his way to Ryouta with Yashiro following behind in confusion.

"Good morning, I'm Yukihito Yashiro. Ren's manager." Yashiro bows.

Ryouta bows in return. "Ryouta Sato. Mogami-san's new manager."

Yashiro is shocked by this news. _Ehhhhh!? The President really did get a classy one!_ He examines the looks between the two of them and sighs. _This isn't good._

"Would you like me to let Mogami-san know that you are here once she finishes changing? Though it might be difficult to talk once she's suited up." Ryouta fights a laugh as he remembers the chicken costume Kyoko showed him.

"Ren, we don't have much time." Yashiro states. "Your interview will begin soon."

Ren notices Ryouta's expression and ignores Yashiro's warning. "Suited up?"

On the other side of the door, Kyoko notices that Ryouta is talking to someone. _Eh? _She walks closer to hear better.

"Yes. For her regular spot on 'Bridge Rock'." Ryouta says simply, assuming Ren already knew.

"Oh. I didn't know she had another regular spot other than Natsu on 'Box R'." Yashiro says confusingly.

Kyoko recognizes Yashiro's voice and knows it must be him and Ren.

Ryouta openly chuckles. "Well I'm not sure how keen she is on this job as she has to dress up in a chicken suit."

Yashiro laughs as he tries to picture Kyoko as a chicken. However, Ren freezes. "Chicken?" _Wait... Isn't this were I meet...?_

Kyoko finally realizes where the conversation is going and hastily tries to grab the door knob to stop Ryouta before he can reveal her secret. She's too late.

"Yes." Ryouta clears his throat to stop his laughter. "One that goes by the name of Bo."


	6. Date

**Okay so this chapter is much shorter than the last one. You guys are lucky I stopped myself last night when I was about to post a chapter. I was exhausted and it SUCKED. Lol oh well. This is much different that what last night's was going to be. Also, I want to say thank you to all my readers! I am so glad you took the time to see what I've written. And I want to give a special thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story. Your comments keep me going and I love Love LOVE reading all of them and I take everyone's comments to heart. I even try to incorporate some suggestions I get. They make my day :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

_Yashiro laughs as he tries to picture Kyoko as a chicken. However, Ren freezes. "Chicken?"__Wait... Isn't this were I meet...?_

_Kyoko finally realizes where the conversation is going and hastily tries to grab the door knob to stop Ryouta before he can reveal her secret. She's too late._

_"Yes." Ryouta clears his throat to stop his laughter. "One that goes by the name of Bo."_

_It's been a few days since then… Tsuruga-san must be shocked. _Kyoko thinks as she washes Natsu's makeup off of her face. _I can't imagine what he must be thinking…_

* * *

Ryouta watches her with curiosity. Ever since that day, he has noticed Kyoko sinking into a depressed mood. _Hm… It must be regarding _that. _When I told them that she was playing Bo, Ren made the same face as when I tried to push his buttons. _He can still see Ren's gentlemanly smile in his mind. One that Ryouta now equated with Ren hiding his true thoughts. _But… why?_ He looks back at Kyoko. _And why is she so depressed about it? _He thinks back on what happened.

Kyoko never opened the door when the conversation happened. Instead, Ren simply smiled and said "Is that so." Afterwards, he and Yashiro quickly left. Kyoko nearly jumped right out of her skin when Ryouta entered the room to check on her as it was taking her a long time to change into Bo. He assumed she had heard what was said between him and Ren, and he was about to ask, but she slammed Bo's head down on herself and ran as fast as the suit allowed away. Since then, he was not able to broach the subject with her. _She must have heard, but why is she upset about it? Is she embarrassed?_

Now Kyoko was sighing heavily. With her makeup completely off, she gathered her things with Ryouta's help and they left for the day. On the drive home, Kyoko did not say a word and Ryouta couldn't bring himself to break the silence.

_What the hell happened between them? _Ryouta asks himself, irritated.

Once Kyoko is inside and in her room, she checks her phone for the millionth time. Once again she sees that she has no calls from Ren and sighs. _He's probably angry. His junior hid something like this from him and even dared to offer him advice. _She glances at her calendar hanging on the wall with a sense of dread. Around tomorrows date is a circle with Setsu's name written below. _How am I going to face him like this? Especially since we're staying together for a week._

* * *

The next morning, Ryouta shows up to pick Kyoko. Originally he very shocked to hear about her project with Ren. For two young actors to pretend to be brother and sister with a questionable relationship, live together, and perform a role without anyone realizing their identities… Ryouta was dumbfounded. But now he was also intrigued as to how it would all turn out, especially with the atmosphere between the two now. Ryouta glances at Kyoko and sees the concern etched on her face. _Well… We'll see what happens. _He pulls up where they are meeting Muse so that she can become Setsu and puts the car in park so he can turn and face Kyoko. Kyoko was about to get out, but stopped when she noticed him.

"Mogami-san. If I am going to be an effective manager that can watch your back, I need to know. What happened with you and Ren?"

Kyoko is startled by his sudden question, but she knows he's right. She looks down at her fingers that are nervously twisting together in her lap. "Bo."

Ryouta waits and when she doesn't continue, he speaks up. "What?"

She sighs. "When I first acted as Bo, I accidently ran into Tsuruga-san. He seemed troubled by something so I approached him. However, I did not reveal who I was. After that I met with him a few more times as Bo, and helped him with some things… I even gave him love advice of all things." Her head sunk even lower. "He must be in shock that someone below him would do these things behind his back…"

_Love advice? From her…?_ Ryouta fights his laughter. "Did he confess something to you that he shouldn't of?" _Like his obvious love for you._

"Eh? No. Nothing like that." _Although I did find out that he loves someone… _She sinks into a further depression.

"Hm… Then it really seems like no big deal." Ryouta says simply. "You hid your identity and helped him with some things. What's so terrible about that?"

"B-But!"

"No buts. Now let's go. We have to finish up here so we can get to the hotel. He's waiting for you I'm sure." Ryouta turns the car off and gets out and Kyoko follows suit.

* * *

They pull up to the hotel and Setsu steps out alone. Through the car's window, Ryouta calls to her. "Good luck!" Setsu sighs and walks inside the hotel. At the door to their room, Setsu hesitates with the key part way in its slot. _It'll be okay. _She takes a deep breath and inserts the key.

Setsu steps in the room and casually walks to her bed to set her things down. Cain is not in the bedroom, but she can hear some rustling in the bathroom. She goes about unpacking as Cain finally steps out of the bathroom. He leans against the doorjamb and watches her. Feeling his stare, Setsu pauses to looks up at him.

"What?"

"Nothing" is all he responds with as he continues to stare at her.

She quirks an eyebrow at him and chuckles. "Okay. You hungry?"

"No."

_I can't tell what he's thinking… _"Okay." She places her last piece of clothing in its drawer and looks up at him. "Well we have a while until they need you on set." She stands up and brushes off her pants. "What do you want to do?" Looking back up at him, she is startled to see him much closer.

_This girl… _He recalls when Bo helped him realize he was falling for her. Now that he knows it was her under the chicken costume, he realizes that she truly felt nothing special towards him. _Why else would she practically command me to pursue my love interest? She didn't know that it was her…_

"Brother?" She notices his expression turning darker. "What's wrong?"

_But what about now…? How does she feel _now_? Just like this…_ He lifts his hand and strokes her cheek affectionately. She stands immobile in confusion and concern. _I can reach out and touch her. But what about when this project is over?_ He lets his hand drop. _She won't be by my side like this again._ He turns away from her and takes a few steps toward the door. He knew that he should have done better to stop his feelings for her from growing, but it was much too late now. He wanted her more than anything else in this world. He bangs his fist on the wall beside him. _Dam*it!_

Setsu jumps and quickly steps forward to grab the hand that he used to hit the wall. "Brother!" She examines it as Cain watches her face that is filled with concern.

_She doesn't hesitate to touch me because I'm her "brother"… _He remembers when they met again after the night she gave him a kiss mark and the face she made. _She turned blue… Like it was a terrible thing. _He remembers how it felt when she kissed him, although he was pretending to be Kuon and it barely counted as a kiss. All the time he's spent with her- all the frustration, angst, and jealousy comes boiling up within him. At the same time, his love that has been testing his control recently overpowers him. _I understand she couldn't tell me. I understand she thought I hated her back then. But after all this time… _He thinks back on the last few days.

Upon finding out that Kyoko was Bo, he was shocked. He thought Bo was a man and relied on her for various things. But to know that Kyoko was the one who had secretly helped him in his times of need filled him with a sense of warmth. He appreciated that she went to such great lengths for him. However, he could not forget their conversation about love now. How she described how love felt for her made his heart constrict knowing it wasn't for him. How easily she encouraged him to pursue some woman she thought she didn't know saddened him.

Now standing in front of the girl in question, the man behind Cain's façade was struggling with his desires._ All I want is her… _"Setsu. I promised you I'd take you on another date." He walks over and grabs her coat. He throws it to her and she easily catches it, although she is intensely confused. "Let's go." He waits until she is finished wordlessly putting on her coat, and he takes her hand. _Until this time is up… I want to touch her._

* * *

They spend time leisurely window shopping, and once again Setsu is forced to persuade Cain not to buy her a bunch of clothes. He would rather buy her enough clothes that cover her body that she won't have to wear anything indecent again, but she won't let him have his way. Cain makes sure that they take their time, so he can spend as much of it as he can with her. As they pass a group of large office buildings, Setsu abruptly stops and stare in the direction of one of their doors. Because they are still holding hands, Cain is forced to stop also. He follows her eyesight to one of the buildings and walking out of it is an older woman with long black hair that's pulled up. tired looking after a long day of work. He would recognize her anywhere now. Kyoko's mother.

Saena, feeling as if someone is watching her, looks up to see Cain and Setsu looking at her. She doesn't recognize either one of them, so she continues walking. However, she stops upon hearing the word "mother" whispered from Setsu's lips. In confusion, she looks back at Setsu. Upon closer examination, she realizes that it is Kyoko.

"Kyoko."

Setsu flinches, realizing that she shouldn't have called out to her. She takes a step back and that is when Saena sees that she is holding hands with Cain.

"Who are you?" Saena asks, furiously.

Cain's only answer is glare that would chill anyone to their core. He grips Setsu's hand tighter and pulls her away.

"Wait a minute!" Saena calls after then and grabs Setsu's shoulder to stop them.

Cain turns to face her again, and places himself between Setsu and Saena. "Don't touch her."

Taken aback, Saena scoffs as she tries to bury her fear of this terrifying man. "I'm her mother. I have every right to touch her!"

Cain takes a step towards her. "Anyone who abandons their child and slaps them has lost that right."

Saena takes a step back, confused. _How does he… _She takes a closer look at him. _Ren Tsuruga!?_


	7. Unwanted Touch

**Here's a new chapter. I hope you enjoy! :) Please review to let me know how I'm doing. They really help. **

* * *

_Taken aback, Saena scoffs as she tries to bury her fear of this terrifying man. "I'm her mother. I have every right to touch her!"_

_Cain takes a step towards her. "Anyone who abandons their child and slaps them has lost that right."_

_Saena takes a step back, confused.__How does he…__She takes a closer look at him.__Ren Tsuruga!?_

* * *

"You…!" Saena stops and looks around. A few bystanders are watching their interaction. She also remembers that she is just outside her workplace. "Come." She says quietly but sternly.

"No." Cain responds. He begins to pulls Setsu's hand again and Setsu tries to follow him, except her mother grabs her again.

"I said to wait!" Saena says a bit louder.

* * *

Meanwhile, a man sitting in traffic in his car notices the scene- at first because of the two darkly dressed people looking wound up and standing out from those around them, but then he recognizes the woman that is standing before them. He sits up to get a better look. _Is that…?_

"Sho?" his manager asks, noticing him taking an interest in something. "What is it?"

He narrows his eyes in disgust at seeing Kyoko's mother. He may not have loved Kyoko back then like she did for him but he did care for her as a friend. He used to try to find ways to comfort her when she was constantly put down by none other than the woman he was now looking at, but he never knew how. _Why is she in Tokyo? I thought she'd still be back in Kyoto._ He pauses. _Wait… Does Kyoko know about this?_ He looks back at the other two people standing with her. Though he sees a resemblance in both of them, he shakes it off. _There's no way that's Kyoko. She may have looked different those times but… _He looks at the man with her. _There's no way someone like Ren Tsuruga can look that… dark. _However he does remember the look he received when he told Ren he saved her from Reino. _Maybe… _Finally the traffic moves and he is carried away from the scene before him.

* * *

At her mother's touch again, Setsu comes alive and snaps herself away from her mother as Cain once again steps between the two of them.

"I said to not touch her." Cain says menacingly.

"Brother, it's okay." She soothes his anger before turning to face the woman in front of her. The woman who, currently, was not "Setsu's" mother. "Setsu" had never met her before. So she pushes "Kyoko" deep down, and faces Saena with a look of indifference. "Can I help you?"

Saena is startled by the look on Setsu's face. If she didn't know any better, she would truly think that this wasn't Kyoko. _She looks like she really doesn't know me. But_ _she clearly said "mother" and he, _she looks at Cain, _he knew what happened the other night. It has to be them._ "Yes. You can actually." She crosses her arms in defiance. "You can pack your things and move back where you belong- Kyoto."

_So that's what she wants… _Setsu quirks and eyebrow at her declaration. "Excuse me, but you must be mistaken. I don't know you." Setsu scoffs. "Who are you to tell me what to do?" She pauses and continues with a softer voice, "I'm never going back there."

Cain looks down at his sister with pride. _She's got her character perfectly, _He thinks. _I wonder if she's used a character like this before…_

As he contemplates this, Saena speaks up again. "I am your mother! You are to listen to what I say."

"No. You're not." Setsu replies with no emotion in her voice and then turns and walks away.

Cain doesn't immediately follow Setsu. Instead, he looks at Saena darkly. "Do not ever approach her again." He turns and follows after his sister and Saena does not follow. When he reaches her, he takes her hand tightly and feels her trembling from fear, anger and sadness. He squeezes her hand in comfort. _I will protect you…_ he thinks but does not voice. She squeezes his hand back, thankful that he is there with her.

_I really can't even begin to deny it anymore… _She smiles slightly. _I'm really in love with Tsuruga-san. _Once they are out of earshot of her mother, Cain sighs heavily. _This has got to stop._ He looks at Setsu and sees the sadness on her face. "Come on. Let's go here." He pulls her hand and leads her into a cute café, not befitting of either one of them with the way they're dressed. The few patrons that are there look at them curiously.

"Brother?" She asks, confused as to why he would take her here of all places.

They both sit at a booth that has no customers sitting nearby. Still without answering Setsu, he glances at the menu and points out some ice cream to Setsu with an expectant face. She laughs, something Cain was aiming for. A waitress appears and Setsu orders the ice cream he was pointing to.

"Coffee." Cain adds as the waitress is about to walk away.

When the waitress returns with their order, Cain glances at Setsu and sees excitement in her eyes at the ice cream sitting before her. _Good._ He smiles warmly at her.

Setsu looks up at him after eating a spoonful, "Aren't you going to have any, brother?"

He takes a sip of his coffee. "No. That's for you."

Realization dawns on her. "Brother… Did you bring me here to cheer me up?"

He takes another drink of his coffee and doesn't answer.

"Thank you…" She says quietly, but happily.

* * *

Cain and Setsu arrive on set and Cain is whisked away to have his special effects makeup put on. Setsu walks by herself to their dressing room as it will be a while until he is finished. As she is walking, her phone rings and when she answers it a voice she despises comes over the phone.

"_Kyoko. We need to talk." _Sho says as soon as she answers.

Knowing that she is in character and cannot talk with him about anything personal, Setsu simply hangs up and turns her phone off. She doesn't want to deal with him right now anyway.

Angered by her hanging up on him, Sho calls her back many times to no avail. _That idiot! Her mom is here and she ignores me!_ He thinks about the two people he saw talking to her mom and wonders if they aren't truly Kyoko and Ren. _But how would I find them like that? _He calls his manager. _I have to find a way.  
_

* * *

Once it is lunch time, Cain and Setsu move to their dressing room together and she gets their lunch prepared. While she does, Cain watches her and contemplates their day, especially how well she used her character to hide her true feelings. He humorlessly chuckles to himself. _Reminds me of someone…_ Setsu hears him chuckle but when she asks about it, he ignores her question. _I wonder if she's hidden anything from me… _Without noticing she was done setting out their food, Cain realizes Setsu is staring at him expectantly. He looks down and sees that she is waiting for him to start eating. He looks back up at her with disinterest in the food. Setsu recognizes the look as one saying he's not going to eat.

"Brother. Eat it yourself or I'll feed you."

He smiles and leans back in his chair. "Then feed me."

_Eh? He actually said it! I thought he would give in! _Setsu smiles sardonically and stands up. Inside, Kyoko is freaking out, but Setsu is as cool as ever. She walks over to her beloved brother, sits on his lap and wraps her arms around his neck. "Okay." She beams another smile. "What first? Salad or soup?"

Cain smiles slightly mischievously up at her and puts his arms around her waist. "How about you?"

Again, Kyoko wants to dig a hole to crawl into, but Setsu leans forward and kisses his forehead. "Maybe later." She turns and picks up his soup that once again has a straw so that his makeup doesn't get messed up. She holds the bowl and points the straw at his lips, offering it to him.

He pouts like a puppy, something she was growing accustomed to, but he drinks the soup without ever taking his eyes from hers.

Setsu chuckles. "Good boy."

Cain is still watching her expressions and is satisfied that she seems to be okay after that morning's events. He tightens his grip on her and then releases her. "Setsu, we need to talk."

At that, she gets off of his lap and goes back to her own seat so she can be attentive without being distracted. "What?"

He takes a deep breath, "No… Mogami-san. I need to talk to _you_."

_Eh? He's never done this before. _She lets her Setsu act drop, knowing that she was no longer talking to "Cain". "W-what is it?" She was frazzled by him dropping his act like this. Not to mention that she was sitting on his lap and feeding him just moments ago.

"It's about what's been happening lately. I realize I haven't really talked to you about it much and we should."

Kyoko nods, understanding his rationale.

"About being that chicken…"

Kyoko bristles and Ren notices her terror. Suddenly, he laughs and she stares at him in confusion.

"I'm sorry," he says between laughs. "I know you were probably scared of how I'd react. To be honest, I was upset at first." He takes on his typical scolding tone. "To think my junior would hide something like that from me."

Kyoko goes to stand and bow deeply in apology, but Ren stops her.

"But then I realized that you actually helped me more than anything."

_Huh? _She looks at him, hopeful. "I did?"

He smiles warmly at her. "Yes. So all I really want to say about it is thank you."

She lets out the breath she had been holding in. "I'm so glad…"

_She really was scared… _"Now. The issue with your mother."

Kyoko clenches her fists at the memories of her run-ins with Saena. "I'm sorry for what happened today. I spoke without thinking."

"It's okay." Once again he recalls that he is not supposed to know the details about her relationship with her mother as she had never explained it to "Ren". "I am curious though. Do you know what she wants?"

"She did say something about going back to Kyoto… I don't know what she'll do to make me go." Kyoko pauses as she remembers that she hasn't told him anything that happened in the past. "Truthfully… When I was growing up I didn't have a good relationship with my mother. I don't remember my father because he died when I was very young and in the end, my mother had no reason to stay with me. She ended up leaving and I hadn't seen her again until that day outside Darumaya…"

Ren's heart breaks for her. _She went through so much… _"I'm so sorry." _Wait. If she left her then who did she stay with? _"Who did you live with after she left?"

Kyoko sighs knowing that she can't hide the truth from him forever. "I stayed with Sho's parents. They liked me and knew I loved him so they started training me to take over the inn with him one day. That's why he left home and subsequently why I am here."

_Wha- She did what!?_ "As a bride!?" He was stunned, but it made many things make sense now. _That's why she was such a good "young lady" and speaks so politely. _

Kyoko nods. "I was taught everything I would need to know in order to run the inn with him up until we left." She shakes her head at her stupidity. "Anyway, my mother is here now and seems to be embarrassed of my being an actress. It can make her look bad. She had always tried to keep up certain appearances. That's why I used to try to get good grades in school. I wanted to please her." A smile breaks through her darkened face. "That is something I tried to keep up until that time as your manager… For that, I thank you."

Ren had been trying to let go of his jealousy over knowing she was being trained to be a bride for another man and failing, but at her thanks, he smiled a genuine smile that left Kyoko blinded. "I see. Well you have to let me know if anything happens." He looks right at her. "I will do what I can to help." _That's why I asked for you to have a manager. _

"No!" She responds fervently. "I mean," she calms herself, "I can't bother you with these things."

"Mogami-san, we are working together right now. For both of us to complete our job without any problems, I need to know what I can do to help," he easily bluffs the reason for wanting to be involved with her problems. However, it works and she relents.

"I understand…"

"Good."

In that moment, Kyoko's phone rings. She gets up to turn it off as Ren watches. "Your phone has been ringing a lot lately. Is someone trying to get ahold of you?"

Kyoko tries her best to nonchalantly place her phone back in her bag and respond, but Ren is no fool. "It's no one of importance. I can call them back later."

He lets her answer go, not wanting to spoil their good mood although he can guess who is on the other end of the phone. _What could he possibly want? After grabbing her so hard it left bruises, he needs to just back away and leave her alone too._

* * *

The week is coming to a close without any more catastrophes. It is almost too calm to Ren and Kyoko. They wonder why her mother hasn't tried to contact them again that week, but they decide that it's for the best. Setsu acts with Cain without any problems, and she was relieved but confused that Ren never brought up her being Bo again. She lets it go- if he isn't angry then she doesn't want to tempt his anger. She, however, is slowly becoming irritated by all of the calls from Sho. Cain notices her mood but when he asks her about it, she shrugs it off.

Now they were walking hand in hand to the set for their last day of filming for the week. Cain walks inside the studio ahead of Setsu, as she spots a vending machine and wants to go get them both a drink because she forgot their tea at the hotel, much to her internal dismay. As she is walking there, she is lost in thought over how much Cain has changed in the recent weeks. _Maybe Tsuruga-san has overcome that darkness… _She smiles and suddenly runs right into someone standing before her.

"I'm so sorry!" She says, accidently snapping out of Setsu mode as she picks herself up off of the ground. When she looks up, she is surprised to see Sho standing before her and puts her Setsu walls back up.

He is standing, glaring at her curiously. "You… Are you-"

Setsu cuts him off, not wanting him to recognize her. "Sho Fuwa? What is someone like you doing here?" She is able to maintain Setsu's indifference.

Sho is not shaken by this and jumps right into his accusations. "I called my manager and she wasn't able to get any information on my friend, Kyoko, for this past week. In fact, no one would give us information on her or Ren Tsuruga for the week, someone she works with. Odd, right? That both of them would be missing." He takes a step towards her, getting a better look than the one he got in his car before. "But there was word that some big movie was being filmed here today, and one of the main actors was some terrifying dude." He notices Setsu's eyes flare at that. "Thing is, I saw a scary guy walking down the street recently with a girl a lot like you. They were talking to an acquaintance of mine. Someone Kyoko would know. What I didn't understand is why they would be talking to her. Then I realized they looked oddly familiar."

Realizing where he was going with this, Setsu tries to cut in. "I don't know what you're ta-"

"Then it gets better!" He cuts her off again, angrily. He takes another step towards her and she takes one back. "You see, as I look at you I see that you were the girl with that scary guy on the street. So why would you be talking to Kyoko's mom? I can only come to one conclusion…" He pauses, letting it sink in for her fully that he knows. "Kyoko."

Setsu doesn't confirm or deny him, but turns to walk away. Sho quickly grabs her shoulder and slams her against the vending machine.

_Again!_ Setsu shakes in anger as this scene has become too similar to the last time she met him. "Don't touch me!"

"What the hell are you doing!?" Sho shouts as no one is around them. "Walking hand in hand down the street like lovers! And what's with this getup?" He looks her up and down, disgusted.

"I said…" She shoves him off of her. After everything with her mother and now him, she has had enough. "Don't touch me!"

Sho has seen her angry before, so it was not so shocking to him. Instead, he stalks toward her so that she is forced back against the machine without him even touching her. "Your mom is here."

"You think I don't know that!? Don't tell me you came all the way here just for that."

This did stun him. "How? And why is she here?"

Setsu tries to turn to walk around him, but he puts his hand on the machine to block her escape. "Tell me, Kyoko."

She quickly looks around. "Don't say that name." She didn't want anyone connecting Setsu to Kyoko because she didn't want anyone connecting Ren and Cain.

Sho narrows his eyes at her, but doesn't ask why. "Tell me."

"I don't know! She must have moved here. I hadn't had contact with her until I tried to get consent for a passport, so how she's here is a mystery to me that I don't care to find out."

_Passport? Where the hell is she going?_ "Did she-"

"Yes. I met with her. No. I didn't go well. Now let me go!" Setsu is fed up with everything.

"What did she want?"

"That's none of your busi-" Setsu was about to respond.

Suddenly, Sho is ripped away from Setsu. Cain is there and Sho is stunned by how evil he looks. With him being changed into his black costume and colored contacts, he is even more dark and terrifying than how he looked walking down the street. "Ren Tsuru-", he nearly asks too loudly, but Cain's glare is enough to silence him. Cain wordlessly grabs Setsu's hand and pulls her away. "Hey! I wasn't done!" Sho shouts.

Cain lets go of Setsu's hand to whip around and stalk toward Sho, forcing him back until his own back is against the vending machine. Cain slams his fist beside Sho's head on the machine and stands so close that he is looking down on him with his towering height. Setsu watches on his fear, knowing that nothing good comes from Cain's anger.

"B-Back up!" Sho stutters with feigned strength.

Cain answers with another glare and menacingly whispers, "Shut the f**k up."

Though Sho had been exposed to Ren's angry expression before, he could never imagine him like this. He would never admit it, but right then fear crawled up his spine. _This guy… he looks like a cold-blooded murderer…_ He recalls Kyoko talking about taking advantage of Ren's kindness. _There's nothing kind about him!_

Cain sees the fear hidden in Sho's eyes and is almost satisfied, but he adds in another whisper so that Setsu cannot hear, "touch her again and I will rip your arms off."

Although he fears Cain, Sho refuses to show it. "I'm sure the media would love to hear you say things like that. If you want to talk about things being ripped apart." He tries to look at Setsu but Cain shifts his body so that he can't see anything but him. "That goes for both of you. She wants to become an actress big enough to make me bow down in defeat? She'll never get there with someone like you!"

Hearing this just made Cain angrier as it was a subject he never wanted to think about but couldn't refute. He brought his arm back, ready to strike Sho.

Setsu gasped as she noticed his movement. "Brother! No!"

Instead of hitting Sho, Cain's fist lands on the machine. He hangs his head and shakes it, dispelling his anger. He knows Sho isn't worth the backlash he could potentially receive. Plus he promised to not disappoint Setsu again. _Once again her voice saved me from making a mistake. I may accept Kuon now, but I still don't want to hurt anyone. _He turns away from Sho and once again begins to pull Setsu's hand toward the studio.

_What did she mean by brother? _Sho thinks through his fury. He watches them walk away, staring angrily at their entwined hands. _What's with those two…?_ He is still shaking in anger, but he dares not to follow them.

Once they are inside, Cain leads them both to their dressing room and doesn't let her hand go until the door to the room is safely shut. Cain turns to Setsu then. "Are you okay?"

She hesitates and Cain's face darkens but she eventually responds. "Yeah."

He places his hand on her cheek. "Liar." Though she fights it, a tear makes her way down her cheek until it is interrupted by his hand. Cain hugs her. "I'm sorry I was late."

Setsu takes deep breaths, refusing to cry again. She was done with crying so much lately. "It's just everything that's happened lately… It's not easy."

Cain releases her from his embrace, but keeps his hands on her arms. "I'm sorry. You were late so I went to check on you. When I saw you with him…" He drops his head and trembles with fury. He looks back up at her. "I was late, but I will always find you." Setsu can see the warmth in his eyes shining through the darkness of his anger and it fills her with a sense of comfort. "I will always come for you." He fights to control himself from saying more. From saying everything he's held back for so long. _I will always love you. _"Always."

Another tear escapes Setsu's eyes but this time it is from happiness instead of sadness. She smiles sweetly at him, nearly destroying his control. She hugs him, something he isn't used to. "I love you."

Cain's eyes widen and Setsu can feel his heart speed up considerably. She replays what she just said and did in her mind and blushes furiously in Cain's chest. She waits until she gets her expression under control before she releases him and smiles up at him. "You are the best brother a girl could ask for."

_Ah… That's what she meant. _Cain is disappointed in himself for getting ahead of himself. _She's still Setsu after all._ "Yeah. I love you too."

A shiver of thrill threatens her persona so she makes sure to step away from Cain so that his hands fall from her arms. She doesn't want him to notice her excitement at his words. "Thank you for saving me."

Cain lets his disappointment go as he could never keep it up with her around, she always brightened his mood. "Any time."


	8. Partners

**So... Sleepy! Okay so I've started summer classes and have been very busy. I will go back to trying to update just once a week. I didn't want a lot to happen in this chapter. Trying to set the stage ;) I hope you enjoy! Please review it. I'd like to know if you like where it's headed. I've already received some really good ideas! Thank you!**

* * *

_Cain's eyes widen and Setsu can feel his heart speed up considerably. She replays what she just said and did in her mind and blushes furiously in Cain's chest. She waits until she gets her expression under control before she releases him and smiles up at him. "You are the best brother a girl could ask for."_

_Ah… That's what she meant. __Cain is disappointed in himself for getting ahead of himself.__She's still Setsu after all__.__"Yeah. I love you too."_

_A shiver of thrill threatens her persona so she makes sure to step away from Cain so that his hands fall from her arms. She doesn't want him to notice her excitement at his words. "Thank you for saving me."_

_Cain lets his disappointment go as he could never keep it up with her around, she always brightened his mood. "Any time."_

* * *

_Setsu gasped as she noticed his movement. "Brother! No!"_

_Instead of hitting Sho, Cain's fist lands on the machine. _That was close!_ Cain hangs his head and shakes it.__He turns away from Sho and once again begins to pull Setsu's hand toward the studio. Sho notices their hands and fury rises up in him. _That bastard!_ He looks up at Kyoko. __What did she mean by brother?__ He watches them walk away. __What's with those two…?__He is still shaking in anger, but he dares not to follow them. _He's crazy.

"Sho, your phone has been ringing for a while now." Sho opens his eyes to his manager's voice and the persistent ringing of his phone. He lazily looks over at his phone, still drowsy from his mid-afternoon nap. Shoko sighs and picks it up to look at the caller ID. "It's unknown, but if they're going to keep calling then you might as well answer it."

"Or I could just turn it off. If they're not identified then they're not important." Sho responds and turns over, away from Shoko. _That dream again… _

"Yes, hello. This is Shoko Aki, Sho Fuwa's manager. How may I help you?"

Sho suddenly sits up when she answers his phone for him. She ignores his evil eye and listens to the person on the other end of the phone. "Yes. I understand. I'll put him on now." She places her hand over the mike and looks at Sho. "They haven't given their name, but they says it's important," she hesitates with the oddity of the message. "…and that you would interested in what she has to say."

_She? _Sho is immediately suspicious. Ever since he saw Kyoko's mother, he has been on edge even though he would never admit the reason why to anyone. He extends his hand toward Shoko and she places the cellphone in it. "Yes?"

"_Sho Fuwa?_" An older woman's voice is on the other end.

"What?"

He hears a light chuckle before she speaks again. "_Well I can hear that you haven't changed that attitude since the last time I saw you. You were always very cross with your parents." _Sho narrows his eyes. _It _is _her. _"_This is Saena. Saena Mogami."_

"How did you get this number?" Sho asks in a low voice.

She laughs at the question. "_I couldn't believe it at first, but you are quite famous. I just called a few contacts and eventually found it out._" She lowers her voice to match his. "_If I was going to keep tabs on Kyoko after I found out that she entered show business, then I figured it wouldn't hurt to find out what I could about you, her '_Prince_'. Plus it's a lot easier to find out information about you. It seems she's fairly new to the world if you compare her to you._"

_So she's been snooping around me too. _"What do you want?"

Saena sighs. "_So to the point. What's wrong? You don't feel like catching up?"_

Sho repeats his question with an added hint of hostility.

"_I'd like your help actually._"

_Eh? My help? _"What?"

"_It's really interesting actually. I thought you were her prince charming but when I met her the other day it seems like she's replaced you with a knight in shining armor as she would probably put it._" She pauses so long that Sho is forced to respond.

"Who she's with has nothing to do with me. If that's all you want then I'm going."

It wasn't much but Saena could hear the anger in his voice and she was more than satisfied. She knew he wasn't happy that Kyoko had another man. "_Oh dear, that's hardly all I wanted. Like I said, I want your help._" Sho waits for her to continue. "_I want to make her move back to Kyoto._"

Sho is surprised by what she has said. He expected something crueler. This proposition however was one that he actually didn't mind. "That's all?"

Saena laughs again. "_What? Did you expect something else? I just don't like my daughter being in a spot light. It's embarrassing. Thankfully she hasn't made her full name public yet, but it's only a matter of time that people become interested and I would rather not have others knowing my daughter is someone so shameful._" She sneers her words and although Sho can't stand it, her plans for Kyoto doesn't sound half bad to him._ "It's humiliating and I have worked too hard to get where I am to have her screw it up."_

Still, he hated her saying that Kyoko was an embarrassment. "Haven't you said enough already? I didn't need a speech." Saena grumbles at his disrespect, but has no time to retort. "Fine. I'll help. As long as she is separated from Ren Tsuruga, I'm in."

Saena smiles at her easy victory. "Good. Now then…"

Saena and Sho continue their conversation until he is forced to get back to work. With a plan in place to force Kyoko back to Kyoto, Sho is in a noticeably better mood than before. Shoko, who had left the room earlier to give him privacy, can tell but she knows that when his moods change so drastically then it must have something to do with Kyoko, and she would rather stay out of it.

* * *

"Cut! Good job Murasame-san, Cain-san." The director of Tragic Marker calls. Cain doesn't miss a beat and before anyone even realizes he's gone, he's beside Setsu. Everyone on set thinks of one thing. _Those guys are too weird! _Unfazed by their stares, Cain and Setsu proceed toward their room.

"Stop, you perverted siblings!" Murasame yells. Both Cain and Setsu ignore him and continue walking. "You should at least pay your respects to the director and fellow actors! Like a "good job"!"

Cain finally stops and looks at him but like usual, Setsu is the one to respond. "I didn't think Japanese people were so needy and needed praise. Needing someone else to tell you when you've done a good enough job shows you feel inadequate." She looks him up and down before shrugging and walking away with Cain right beside her. Murasame begins a rant that can be heard even as they leave the set.

"You know me well." Cain says as they continue down a hallway that leads to their dressing room.

_That's because I can imagine you saying something like that to me, _Setsu thinks bitterly to herself and recalls all her experiences with a disappointed Ren. "Of course. You're my one and only brother." For the first time she is the one to take his hand, intertwining their fingers.

Cain is startled but doesn't show it. Instead, he smiles slightly and grips her hand tightly. "You're right. I won't let anyone else have you." He looks at her sternly. "That Murasame had better keep his paws off of you or I'll break them. You're mine."

Setsu smiles mischievously. "Aw. But I kind of like him."

Cain is opening the door to their room when she says this. He looks down at her and she can see the fire in his eyes in response to her words. He abruptly pulls her inside, closing the door behind them.

"Brother?" Setsu gets her bearing after being man-handled and realizes that Cain has her against the door to their room. She immediately pulls back from his closeness.

He is leaning down so that his face is inches from hers. "Don't tease me about that. I mean it when I say it. You're mine."

He is so close that his breath caresses her cheeks. Setsu flushes, crosses her arms in defiance and turns her face away from his. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Cain doesn't respond. He glances at her exposed neck and recalls her marking him. He inches closer to her until his lips are hovering over her neck, just below her ear. Setsu freezes. "If you won't make it known to him that you're mine, then I'll have to do it," he whispers as he places his lips on her delicate skin.

Setsu's eyes widen and she puts her hands on his shoulders to push him away. His mouth is only removed for half a second before he is back on her, relentless. "Hn…!" She quits pushing and grips his shoulders tightly when he ever so gently nibbles her. He then lightly licks her to soothe her red, bruising skin- finishing his work.

He once again whispers, "Sweet…" He brings his face back so Setsu can turn to face him.

She immediately raises her hand to her inflamed neck and stares at Cain, wide-eyed. "You…! You stupid brother!" She bonks him on the head. _Calm down! Calm down! _"I was just teasing! You didn't have to do that! They all already know I'm yours!"

Cain smiles smugly. "I know." He completely releases her and goes to sit on the couch. "I just never got to thank you for marking me as yours before. I thought I was doing you a favor." He looks over at her, "My bad." He puts his arms behind his head and lounges on the couch- not sorry looking at all.

Setsu sighs, calming her nerves that have just been completely fried. _There's nothing I can do about it now. _She goes over to sit beside him and he puts an arm behind her. She leans against him and he wraps that arm around her, tightly. "Don't worry so much… I'm not going anywhere."


	9. Unexpected News

**Okay so a lot is going on in this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it and don't get too mad at the decisions I'm making regarding where the story is going. I appreciate everyone's comments. They keep me going! So please review and tell me what you think. Don't be afraid to offer up some ideas. I've already put some of your ideas into motion. Thank you everyone!**

* * *

_Cain smiles smugly. "I know." He completely releases her and goes to sit on the couch. "I just never got to thank you for marking me as yours before. I thought I was doing you a favor." He looks over at her, "My bad." He puts his arms behind his head and lounges on the couch- not sorry looking at all._

_Setsu sighs, calming her nerves that have just been completely fried.__There's nothing I can do about it now.__She goes over to sit beside him and he puts an arm behind her. She leans against him and he wraps that arm around her, tightly. "Don't worry so much… I'm not going anywhere."_

* * *

Ryouta hears his phone ringing and quickly answers it when he sees that it is Lory. With Kyoko acting as Setsu for the past week, he has had a lot of time to work on planning her schedule. He was just making use of some free time by watching an episode of Dark Moon so that he could study Kyoko. "Yes. Ryouta Sato speaking."

"_Good evening Sato-kun. I hope I'm not calling too late._" Lory speaks with a reserved tone in case Ryouta was sleeping.

"Of course not, sir. I was just doing some research."

"_Ah. Good. Well I have something to discuss with you. I did not plan on getting you involved so soon, but this is urgent._"

Ryouta perks up. _Is this about what Tsuruga-san was talking about? _"Excuse me sir, but if this has to do something with the person troubling Mogami-san right now, then I believe Ren Tsuruga has already told me some of this."

"_Ohh?_" _That boy… _Lory contains a chuckle at knowing Ren had no doubtedly already taken the initiative to size Ryouta up. But still, he didn't expect Ren to go ahead and tell Ryouta about Kyoko's mother. "_What exactly did he tell you?_"

Ryouta recalls his experience with Ren:

_"Someone from Mogami-san's past has shown up. Someone I would rather she not meet because of certain circumstances. Unfortunately, they did last night. I was there to stop it from escalating, but Mogami-san was shaken up by it. I would hate to imagine what would have happened if I had not been there to put an end to it..." Ren trails off and Ryouta raises an eye brow when Ren clenches his fists on the table. "But she'll be back."_

_"She?" Ryouta asks._

_Ren looks right at him with a glare. Ryouta fights an involuntary shiver at his expression.__If looks could kill… I'm definitely right about their relationship being deeper than they let on._

_"Yes… It is a female." Ren's knuckles turn white._

_"Well… I will do my best to watch out for Mogami-san._

As Ryouta relays all of this information with a slight shudder at remembering Ren's ferocious expression to Lory, Lory interjects "hm's" and "ah's" every now and again.

"_I see. Then he hasn't been specific. That's good. But now I believe you need to know. You see, the woman Ren is talking about is Mogami-kun's mother._"

_What? Her mother? That's the last person I would have guessed._ "Why her mother?"

"_The specifics of why their relationship is no good are unbeknownst to me. What I do know is that she has contacted us and Mogami-kun directly several times. Ren came to me after one of these encounters because it seems he was with her then. It was hard on Mogami-kun. This is why we decided it would be beneficial for her to have some protection- you."_

Ryouta listens carefully to Lory's every word but he is astonished that Kyoko's mother has been causing the worry he saw on Ren and Kyoko. "What does she want?" Lory hesitates and this causes Ryouta more concern than any words could have. He's never known Lory to be one to hesitate to say something. "President? What does she want?" He repeats his question with a fervor.

Lory sighs heavily, "_She wants Mogami-kun to quit show business. What's after that, I don't know. She would not tell me when she called a short while ago._"

All thoughts seem to cease in Ryouta's mind.

"_Sato-kun?_"

"Ah! I apologize. I was just…"

Lory smiles, knowing he picked a good manager for Kyoko. "_Yes. This situation is not looking good. You see, when I spoke with her earlier she had mentioned the guardian consent form for underage actors. Mogami-san never got her mother to sign it. They had not been in contact for years it seems and Mogami-kun did not wish to contact her mother for consent._"

"What does that mean? I mean Mogami-san has been with LME for a good amount of time now. The consent should not matter at this point."

Once again, Lory sighs with the weight of this situation. He is unable to do anything for the girl he hoped to polish into a never before seen diamond. "_It does matter. Unfortunately, there is no time limit set on guardian consent. If one suddenly decides that it is not okay for their ward to be in this business, then that's it. They're done._"

Ryouta clenches his fist, afraid to ask what he must. "And has her mother done that?"

"_I was given an ultimatum. Either I fire her and send her packing without her knowing her mother's involvement, an act that would leave her devastated nonetheless, or I am faced with a legal battle for hiring someone underage with no consent. In the second option, Mogami-kun would still be forced to leave this business._"

Though Ryouta had only known Kyoko a short while, he was fond of her. So both of the choices given to Lory made his blood boil in anger. "Have you spoken to Tsuruga-san about this?"

"_No. He is still acting with her as Cain and Setsu. I do now want to tell him until the two of them are a safe distance from each other. Ren is a good actor but he isn't perfect. I can't risk Mogami-kun finding out. I called you first because, as her manager, you must know what is about to happen for Mogami-kun._"

Ryouta catches what Lory is trying to say to him. "'About to happen'?"

Lory pauses. He slowly and sadly responds, "_Yes. I will fire Mogami-kun._"

* * *

The week comes to an end and Cain and Setsu are transformed into their normal counterparts. When Ren and Kyoko go their separate ways, both of them being retrieved by their respective managers, they all notice a darkness hanging on Ryouta. Ren in particular is quite alarmed by Ryouta's expression as he is worried it has to do with Saena. However, he does not ask. He decides to wait until he is able to speak to him privately. Kyoko decides to just ignore it, not wanting to spoil her good mood at a job well done.

The next day Ren still has not had a moment to call Ryouta. He was about to now when his phone rang in his hand- Lory Takarada was on the caller ID. By the time the conversation was over, Ren was shaking and threw his phone against the wall of his apartment- effectively shattering it. _NO!_ He could not control his anger and punched the wall. As he stood there with his fist still on the wall and his body trembling, he glanced at his broken phone. He spun around to grab his wallet and keys. He had to get to Kyoko before Lory called to tell her the news. He didn't want her to hear it alone. He wanted to be there to comfort her and tell her that it would be alright. That they would figure out something together. What he didn't know was that Lory had already called her.

* * *

_Ah… He's not answering… He must be busy…_ Kyoko closed her phone, giving up on calling Ren. Tears were streaming down her face, although they were masked by the rain falling outside of the train station. She did not have enough motivation to go into the station yet. She did not have the motivation for much at the moment, and she drops her phone on the ground. She looks down at it as she sees that it opened upon being dropped and the time was staring up at her. _It's time to go…_ Without picking it up, she walks into the station with nothing but a small bag of essentials.

* * *

Ren arrives at Darumaya and barely cuts the engine to his car before leaping out and running to the door. Upon entering, everyone inside looks up at him because of his abrupt entrance. Everyone immediately recognizes his for the famous actor his is but no one dares to approach him. His expression is one of a man that is not to be messed with right now. Okami and Taisho look at him too, but Taisho continues cooking without a word. It is Okami who approaches him with sadness etched in her face.

"She's not here, Tsuruga-san."

He smoothes his face so that no one will think badly of him. "I apologize for coming in like this. Do you know where she is? I lost my phone and cannot contact her. I'm afraid it's urgent."

Okami looks down and shakes her head. "I'm sorry. She packed her things and left."

Ren's world threatens to collapse. _She knows. The President already called her._ He clenches his fists. _He didn't tell me and now she's gone! _"Where did she go…?"

She looks around at the customers that are watching their interaction. "Follow me." She leads them into their private living area and they both sit at the table. Ren waits with as much patience as he can muster right now. "She came home a while ago with no expression on her face. Before we let her go, we made her tell us what was going on. It seems she was let go from LME."

Ren hangs his head. _I knew it… _"Then what happened?"

Okami sighs. "She claimed there was no point in staying here anymore. She said that she had wanted to make it to the top of the show business world and if that was no longer possible, then she had no reason to stay."

The words cut through Ren's façade. He slumps further over and lays his forehead on the table in front of him. _Dam*it!_ His whole body was shaking and Okami just observed all of this.

_Does he… To Kyoko-chan?_ She smiles sadly. _If only he had been here. Maybe he would have made her stay. _She places a hand on his shoulder and he looks up at her.

_I have to get myself together,_ Ren thinks as he struggles to maintain his persona.

"Tsuruga-san, may I ask something of you?"

"What?"

"Can I leave her retrieval up to you?"

_Eh? _Ren just looks at her.

"I don't think she will listen to anyone else." She smiles at him and it is then that he sees a maternal love for Kyoko in her.

A smile finally breaks through as his heart is warmed by this fact. "Yes. I will find her." _There's only one place she would go… _"May I borrow your phone?" _I need to call the President. _

* * *

Lory calls Saena and she answers it expectantly. "Saena Mogami speaking."

"It's done. According to someone near her, she's left. Where she has gone, I do not know."

Saena smiles. _It worked. _"Thank you. That will be all," and she hangs up on him.


	10. Giving Up?

**What a week. I envy those who are out of school for the summer. Unfortunately I am taking two summer classes. I'm pooped, you guys. But I really wanted to write a chapter of this. It's my escape~ I hope you guys enjoy. Everyone's reviews have been cracking me up. So many want Saena to die! When I first started this story, I had a plan set for where this story would go. However, I have deviated from it a LOT! But I now have a new plan set and I will give no spoilers. Sorry ;) Please hang in there. This story wont last much longer. Please feel free to review. Each one makes my day. And I KNOW you guys wont like this chapter. It seems so depressing that even I get sad reading it. But like I said, hang in there... ;)**

* * *

_Lory calls Saena and she answers it expectantly. "Saena Mogami speaking."_

_"It's done. According to someone near her, she's left. Where she has gone, I do not know."_

_Saena smiles.__It worked.__"Thank you. That will be all," and she hangs up on him._

* * *

"Sir, Tsuruga-sama is here." Lory's assistant barely gets the words out of his mouth before Ren abruptly enters the room. Lory is casually smoking a cigar, looking out his windows at the bustling world below- a world that was certainly not crashing down like it felt to the man who had just entered his office.

"President, thank you for seeing me on such short notice," Ren begins, out of breath from his fast walk to his office. "I couldn't let that phone call go. I can't let-" he stops himself. _I can't let her go. Not like that. Not alone. _

Lory smiles and snuffs out his cigar, taking his time before addressing Ren. Finally he speaks. "It took you long enough." Ren glares at him and he returns his glare with a chuckle. "Calm down. Did you really think I would be okay with letting a jewel escape my grasp?"

This floors Ren. When Lory contacted him about letting Kyoko go, Ren had not detected anything in his voice that suggested anything otherwise."Sir?"

Lory looks at him meaningfully but continues without missing a beat. "Ignore the ramblings of an old man. We're not known to know what we're talking about. In fact, we are quite forgetful." He was already regretting calling himself an old man, but for this purpose he was willing. He is fond of the girl who is now missing because of his words.

"I don't understand what you're talking about."

"I'm saying you are not to pursue Mogami-kun!" Once again, Lory looks at Ren with a face full of purpose as he speaks loudly. "You are to do your job and forget about her."

Ren recalls what he had just said. _"Ignore the ramblings of an old man. We're not known to know what we're talking about"_. Catching on, Ren nods infinitesimally. Lory sees the glint in his eye and smiles knowingly. Ren bows, "Understood, sir. Then I'll be going."

"Wait. Your replacement phone." Lory tosses him a small package. Without another word from either one of them, Ren leaves. As soon as he is out of the door, he rips open the package. He turns the already charged phone on and calls Yashiro in order to fill him in and ask about his work schedule. He would leave as soon as he could. Yashiro regretfully reports that he will not have a moment of free time for another three days. After working as Cain for so long, his other work has piled up. Ren sighs heavily but thanks Yashiro. _Just three days… and then I'll tell her everything._

* * *

Kyoko steps off the train and takes in the Kyoto sunshine, leaving the rain in Tokyo far behind. _I'm home. _She takes in a deep, cleansing breath as she tries to clear the clouds in her mind. She had to figure out where to go from here but there was really only one option. She just hopes they would not turn her away.

She slowly approaches Fuwa Ryokan, hesitant. She imagines that they will not recognize her because of her changed appearance. As she stands in front of the door, it suddenly opens. An older woman, although initially startled, immediately bows.

"Good evening madam. Welcome to our Inn. Please," the older woman straightens up to a perfect posture that exudes elegance, "Com-". When their eyes meet, the woman's demeanor slips. "Kyoko-chan?"

"Eh? Ah!" Kyoko bows politely. "I'm sorry for coming so late. I-"

"Kyoko-chan… It's lovely to see you again." The woman smiles lovingly at her.

"You… recognize me?"

Lightly, the woman chuckles as she observes Kyoko with a silent affection. "My son may not have realized what a gem you are, but I could spot you from a mile away. It's been so long…" She places a hand on Kyoko's cheek. "I raised you as if you were already my own. I don't see Shotaro, so I'll take a guess and say he was unable to hold onto your affections- that fool. But you will always be like a daughter to me."

Overwhelmed and suddenly not feeling so alone, a tear escapes from Kyoko's eye and runs down to the woman's hand. "Thank you."

Sho's mother wipes the tear away. "Besides, I was expecting you." Seeing Kyoko's confused expression, she invites her in and has someone bring them some soothing tea. They both sit formally, comfortable with how it feels by now. "I won't ask what is wrong right now. I will wait until you are ready to share it. I am always here if you need someone to talk to." Kyoko nods and gets ready to speak when Fuwa-san speaks again. "Your mother contacted me and told me I could be expecting you."

Kyoko's eyes widen greatly. "My mother?" she whispers, petrified.

Sho's mom mistakes her fear for wonder. "Yes. I was surprised too when she told me who she was. Now _that _is someone I haven't seen for quite some time." She stops herself. "Oh I am sorry, Kyoko-chan. That was rude of me." Kyoko just shakes her head and Fuwa-san continues. "Of course, I was elated when she told me the news."

"The news?"

Now Sho's mother was the confused one. "Yes. About you coming back to study under me again in order to finally inherit the inn like you used to plan to." She pauses. "Well, I say inherit but you would really be working with the man we will welcome into the family to run it. Originally it would have been Shotaro, but I doubt he will change his mind anytime soon. We will be setting up a few omiais for you. Why? Was this meant to be a secret or something?"

Kyoko's world was once again spinning on its head. _How did mother know I'd be here? Inherit the ryokan? Omiai? So I'm to marry?_ So many questions swirled in her mind that nothing is making sense anymore.

"Kyoko-chan? What's wrong? You've become pale."

"N-no… It's nothing. I'm just… tired." She could barely form a complete sentence.

"Oh of course! You've had a long trip and it's late. I'm sorry to have kept you. I will have a room prepared for you…" A young woman in a yukata at the edge of the room bows at the subtle order and exits the room. Fuwa-san looks at Kyoko suspiciously, but decides not to ask yet. She wants Kyoko to calm down before discussing things further. Moments later, the young woman slides the door open so that she can be seen and announces that Kyoko's room has been prepared. "Please follow her, Kyoko-chan. We can speak tomorrow."

Kyoko numbly stands and follows behind the young woman. She observes her back and reminisces on the time when she was working here. _It feels like a lifetime ago… _The girl kneels down in front of a door, slides it open for Kyoko and moves aside without a word. Kyoko turns to her and bows. "Thank you very much." The girl bows deeper and doesn't move again until Kyoko steps inside the room.

"Have a good rest, madam." She quietly closes the door behind Kyoko and leaves.

Kyoko sees a yukata laid out for her and she changes mechanically. Her mind stopped working as soon as she heard her mother had called. She lays down in her futon but does not go to sleep, unable to stop going over the bombs that have just been dropped on her. She did not understand how her mother knows she is in Kyoto. She didn't know why she wants her to inherit the ryokan. Her heart squeezes when she thinks about an arranged marriage. Her mind wanders to Ren. _I wonder if he knows… He's probably still too busy… _While she wants to immediately refuse the offer to inherit the inn and meet potential husbands, she does not want to hurt the woman who graciously opened her home up to Kyoko. _I'm stuck!_ She closes her eyes and presses her palms to them in frustration. _Help me… Tsuruga-san!_

* * *

Kyoko rises early the next morning, unable to try to sleep any longer. She wants to talk to Sho's mom and get answers. Kyoko has already made her decision but she wants to understand the full situation before making it known. She leaves her room and sets out to find Fuwa-san. A worker informs her that it is not a good time to meet as Fuwa-san has a lot of work to complete. Kyoko decides to just take a walk to clear her head. She can think of no better place to go than where she met Corn for the first time. She arrives and the sun shines down brightly on her, warming her to the core. _It'll be okay… _She thinks about Corn. _I broke his curse… Maybe I received it in exchange... But that's okay. As long as he is happy. _ She lays down on the warm grass and, enveloped by warmth, drifts to sleep. Despite her circumstances, she dreams about her good times at the inn as a child.

That night, Kyoko is finally able to meet up with Sho's mother after she has eaten dinner. They both meet at the same room as the night before and are once again served tea.

"So," Fuwa-san takes a sip of her tea, "to continue our conversation from last night." Kyoko straightens up from her already straight posture. This causes Fuwa-san to smile. "To think you can actually sit straighter." She chuckles. "You always were a good student. Even now your posture is impeccable."

Kyoko smiles although it is strained. "Thank you, Fuwa-san."

Fuwa-san notices her forced smile and it reminds of her original purpose in meeting with Kyoko. "Kyoko-chan, am I missing something? Your mother seemed pleased that you were coming back but I did not expect you to be so… depressed. I feel as if I am out of the loop and, if you would permit it, I would like to know what is going on."

Kyoko takes time to process her words and takes a deep breath, steeling herself from her own words that were about to come. She bows, "I apologize. I truly was just tired. I have just returned to Kyoto… for good. Things did not go very well for me in Tokyo. Shotaro is doing well in his career and no longer required my assistance." She didn't want this kind woman to know the truth behind her son's betrayal. "After that, I tried to do my own think and was recently let go. There was really nothing left for me in Tokyo…" she hesitates so slightly that Fuwa-san almost misses it. Kyoko thinks to herself: _I may love Tsuruga-san but someone like him would never return those feelings for me… But I could never watch him be with someone else. Before I become even crueler, it's best if I leave his life before it truly is much too late…_ She knows she is lying to herself. It was already too late.

Fuwa-san has no reason to doubt Kyoko, so she places her tea cup down and looks at Kyoko sadly. _Everyone leaves behind _something. _That hesitation… She also seemed distraught when I talked about an omiai. She must have loved someone dearly. _"I am so sorry, Kyoko-chan. It must have been tough. I must thank your mother then for contacting me. I am glad I can be of some help, even if it is just a little bit."

Kyoko shakes her head. _So she really knows nothing about my mother's contact with me. But why did mother contact her about this? _She shakes off her questions so she can focus on their conversation. "You are very helpful to me. I apologize again for my boldness, but I would like to stay here… For good."

Fuwa-san brightens immediately. "Truly?"

Kyoko nods. "Yes. And of course, I want to be of help. No matter what it is… Including helping run it with the future owner if that is what you desire…" _I owe you so much… I at least want to be helpful to you. _

_Ah… The arranged marriage. _"I understand. Thank you, Kyoko-chan." Fuwa-san stands. "Then I will begin the search for an appropriate partner…" _unless you say otherwise…_ She is almost hopeful that Kyoko changes her mind. She loves Kyoko and hates to see her heartbroken.

However, Kyoko simply smiles with as much acting ability as she can muster. "I appreciate that. Thank you very much, Fuwa-san." Sho's mother is not fooled, but she relents and excuses herself.

Alone, Kyoko slumps over. _It's done. _She smiles bitterly. _At least I am able to be helpful to her._

* * *

-Two days later-

Ren steps off of the train and is momentarily blinded by the sun that is typically hidden from him by the towering skyscrapers of Tokyo. Kyoto is one of Ren's favorite places for many reasons. One reason in particular was now hiding from him somewhere. Though he had met with Kyoko many times by the stream when they were children, the likelihood of her being there now was slim. She just recently informed him about staying with Sho Fuwa's parents at a ryokan, so he decides to start there. He clenches his fists, preparing to bare everything he has kept hidden for so long. _Kyoko…_


	11. Loving Words

**So I was actually thinking about what all I have left to do in this story to tie up all loose ends and realized I can get a few more chapters in. In other words, its not over yet! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It was hard trying to figure out how to portray everything. I hope it came across well. Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think! And if you find any grammar mistakes then don't be afraid to let me know. Sometimes when I upload to here, my document gets changed for some annoying reason, so I would actually appreciate your help.**

* * *

_Ren steps off of the train and is momentarily blinded by the sun that is typically hidden from him by the towering skyscrapers of Tokyo. Kyoto is one of Ren's favorite places for many reasons. One reason in particular was now hiding from him somewhere. Though he had met with Kyoko many times by the stream when they were children, the likelihood of her being there now was slim. She just recently informed him about staying with Sho Fuwa's parents at a ryokan when she was a child, so he decides to start there. He clenches his fists, preparing to bare everything he has kept hidden for so long. __Kyoko…_

* * *

Ren enters the first shop he finds and approaches a young woman working at the cashier. She is reading a magazine with the headline "Exclusive Interview with Ren Tsuruga!" and doesn't notice the man in question standing before her. As the wind chime by the door tinkles with the wind as the door to the shop closes behind him, she looks up and her eyes almost bulge right out of her head. Before she has a chance to voice a rant of excitement like Ren is used to, he speaks up.

"I need some information."

She tries her best to calm her nerves, but she fails in the presence of Japan's most eligible bachelor. Instead, she looks at him with her best seductive face. "Anything you want…"

Ren smiles gentlemanly, ignoring her obvious affections. "Are there any inns around here?"

"Yes… Quite a few. And they're all very nice."_ I'll go with you to any of them…_

"I see. Do you know anyone with the name Fuwa?" Again he ignores the suggestiveness of the way she phrased that.

This distracts her as she runs through a list of names in her head. "No, I don't thi- Oh! Yeah! There's Fuwa Ryokan a little ways from here. Out of here and to the left." She remembers who she is talking to and smiles up at him. "I can take my break and show you where if you'd like."

_Are women always like this? _Ren didn't appreciate her offer. _No… they aren't, _he thinks as he dwells on his memories of the one he came to Kyoto for. "Thank you for your help." He turns on his heel and quickly leaves the shop. Because he is traveling by foot, it takes him a while but he arrives at the inn and enters the front door- full of purpose.

There is someone already there to greet new guests. She bows to him, her perfected discipline restraining any feelings of excitement she may feel. "Good afternoon, sir. How may I be of service to you?"

Ren glances around for any sign of Kyoko, but doesn't see her. "I am looking for someone. Do you know a Kyoko Mogami?"

The woman raises up and stands perfectly straight, reminding Ren of the time Kyoko played a young woman of a rich household. This made him yearn to see her, worried about how she was doing. "Yes, sir. She is currently with the mistress."

Ren's heart warms knowing she is so close. _Found her._ "I need to speak with her."

The woman bows again. "I apologize. I have been instructed to not disturb them. Mogami-sama is in an important meeting with Fuwa-sama."

Just then an older woman enters the front room and is startled to see Ren there, although she doesn't recognize him. Being held up with running an inn after her husband's death, Fuwa-san has not had much time for entertainment. "Oh dear. You're here already." She bows. "I apologize. I must have lost track of time." She straightens up and looks around Ren. "I am surprised you do not have anyone with you. Normally there is a chaperone from both sides for the first omiai meeting."

"Omiai?" Ren doesn't understand, but a sinking feeling comes over him. "For who?"

Sho's mother was confused. "Are you not the one for the meeting with Kyoko-chan?"

His fears are confirmed._ Omiai… Kyoko is entering an arranged marriage. _"I'm sorry, you must have me mistaken for someone else." Ren responded emotionlessly. He bows and greets her. "I am Ren Tsuruga. I am here looking for Mogami-san, but it isn't an arranged meeting."

She pauses as she assesses Ren. "May I ask how you know her?"

"I am an acquaintance from Tokyo. She left so suddenly. I wanted to see how she was doing." He responded with a practiced indifference that separated his feelings from his expression.

Fuwa-san raises an eyebrow. _You came all the way from Tokyo, following her… and you're an acquaintance? _"I see. Well now is not the best time. We are expecting her partner to be here any moment. After that she will be immersed in training for the rest of the day." Fuwa-san smiles. "You are welcome to spend the evening here. She may be able to spare some time later tonight."

Ren weighs his options, but he is set on not returning to Tokyo without Kyoko. "Yes. I would appreciate that. Thank you."

Fuwa-san bows. "I understand." She turns to the young girl who first greeted Ren and she bows, understanding Fuwa-san's silent order. The girl disappears from the room, leaving Ren and Fuwa-san alone together. "Now." She looks directly at Ren. "Who are you really to our Kyoko-chan?"

Ren is startled by this. He thought he had successfully convinced her that he was just a friend to Kyoko, but her tone suggests otherwise. "I don't know what you mean."

"One does not come all the way from Tokyo chasing after someone so soon after they left simply because it was sudden. At least… not unless that person is quite important to you." Ren observes the glint in her eye as she says this and knows he's been read like an open book. She sees him struggle for words and smiles at him, knowing that she is right. "Thank you."

"Eh?" Ren is caught off guard by her thanks.

Fuwa-san sighs. "I have heard a little from Kyoko-chan about her situation. It seems things have been hard on her… I can tell you care for her and that is something she needs." Ren is about to speak, but Fuwa-san speaks first. "However, I cannot sway her choice. And her choice is to stay here and leave Tokyo behind. If she is resolved, then anyone trying to force her back will only bring her pain."

Ren clenches his fists, also fully resolved. "I will bring her back." Fuwa-san stays silent. Knowing he is alone with her, he lets his mask fall away. "I am in love with her. I will do whatever it takes to bring her back. I won't…" His knuckles turn white under the strain of his grip and he takes another breath before finishing. "I will not let her run away from me." _Not until I tell her… She has to know everything. _

Fuwa-san sighs at the complexity of the situation. "I cannot help you. Kyoko-chan is like a daughter to me. I will support whatever decision she has made. However…" She steps up to Ren so that he can see the depth of her words in her eyes. "If you truly love her like you say you do, then promise me you will take whatever pain she has buried deep within her away. She won't tell me what happened, but I can see something burdening her that is more than just a lost job." She looks down, remembering the expressions she has caught Kyoko making when she thought no one was looking. "Her heart has been shattered." She looks back up at Ren. "Fix it."

"Yes." One word was all that was needed to convey to Fuwa-san that Ren was serious.

Just then, the door to the inn opens and a young man in a suit steps in and stiffly bows, followed by an older man also in a suit. "Good afternoon, I am Arata Imai and this is my father. It is a pleasure to meet you." His voice shakes and he looks up to take in the intense atmosphere between Ren and Fuwa-san. "Ah! I'm sorry! I should have looked before talking!"

It takes a beat, but Fuwa-san puts on her best professional smile. "Not at all. It is a pleasure to meet you also. I am the mistress of this ryokan. If you follow me, we can meet with Kyoko-chan now. She is already prepared for you."

"Yes, of course." Arata's father says and he pushes Arata forward as they follow Fuwa-san, who gives Ren a meaningful look before leading them away.

Ren does his best to control his anger._I know this isn't Fuwa-san's fault. Or this… child's. But…_ he is unable to control his instant loathing towards Arata- the man chosen to be Kyoko's partner._No… more than loathing… This is just envy._ In his mind, Kyoko still felt nothing towards Ren. He is just unable to give up without trying anymore. Especially now that he knows she will be forced into marriage with someone she doesn't even know yet.

The girl who left earlier to prepare his room reenters to lead Ren to where he will be staying._Tonight… I'll talk to her tonight._

* * *

Kyoko is standing on the balcony to her room she had been moved to after announcing her acceptance to inherit the inn. It is at a more secluded area so that she can't be disturbed when working. She is grateful, but she could not fight the loneliness that came over her when all she could hear was the hum of cicadas. She was tired after a long day of training and the meeting with her suitor, Arata. While he had a good background, to Kyoko he seemed inadequate.

She sighs. "Get it together!" She slaps both of her cheeks in an attempt to do just that. It'll be okay. It will get better. She looks up at the full moon that is illuminating the small grassy area that lies just before the trees beyond her balcony. Her thoughts wander to Ren. In no way could Arata even measure up to Ren in her heart._But I have to try… I'm sorry I'm such a failure, Tsuruga-san._ She looks down and out at the trees. She notices someone walking alone, so she squints her eyes to try to see better and his hair gets lit up by the moonlight. _Corn…?_ She rubs her eyes, not believing it. When she opens them and tries to see again, but he is gone._ Once again she sighs. __I'm an idiot…_

Ren sighs in frustration. He was informed that Kyoko went to bed and wasn't informed that he is there, so he took a walk around the ryokan in hopes of spotting her through one of the room's windows. Unfortunately for him, he had already passed Kyoko's balcony once and didn't see her. So when he passed by again, he didn't bother to look. He returns to his room and decides to try again tomorrow.

* * *

"What!?" Sho shouts into his cell phone. "Mom, what are you talking about? Arranged marriage!?" Sho has not accepted any calls from his mom in all the time he has been in Tokyo, but he knew Saena would be trying to get Kyoko to go back to Kyoto so he thought she might have been calling about her. _This is not what we planned!_

_"So you don't know anything either… Kyoko-chan hasn't been her usual cheerful self, so I thought something was wrong. But she won't tell me and you don't know…"_

Sho grips his phone. "No. I don't know anything at all," he lies. He hangs up on her and quickly calls Saena.

She answers after a few rings. _"So I see you've probably heard by now."_

"You bi*ch! We agreed on her moving back to Kyoto, but I didn't say anything about an arranged marriage!"

Saena laughs. _"Did you really think I would risk her moving back here? I needed something to tie her down over there."_

"You said you would plant in my mom's ear that she would inherit the inn. Nothing else."

"_Well then you really are the idiot I thought you were. If she's to run a ryokan then she needs someone by her side to do it. You should know that better than anyone,"_ she says as a last jab before hanging up.

It stings him quite a bit. The one who was meant to be the one by her side to run it was supposed to be him. But he gave it up to come to Tokyo and then he threw her away too. He clenches his fists. _We'll see about that…_

* * *

Kyoko is taking a break from training to take a walk to her favorite place on earth- where she met Corn. She steps through the tree line and into the bright sunlight that temporarily blinds her. While her eyes adjust, she sees a man standing before her with hair shining in the sun. Without hesitating she yells "Corn!"

The man abruptly turns around. "Kyoko…" He is shocked to see her there.

Finally Kyoko can see right and sees that his hair isn't blonde, but dark brown. And it isn't Corn, but Ren.

Kyoko inadvertently takes a step back. "What…?" _Why is he here!?_

In response to her stepping back, Ren takes a step towards her, raising one hand. "Wait…"

Kyoko shakes her head. "No…" She takes another step back. "No!" Turning and running, Kyoko shakes with a mixture of emotions from seeing Ren again. She had not planned on meeting him again. She knows that if she stays then her emotions will overtake her- something she could never let happen. Especially now with her fiancé and all of the promises she has made to Fuwa-san. So she runs with all of her might, but her legs can only carry her so fast. Ren's long legs on the other hand let him quickly catch up.

Ren grabs Kyoko's arm and pulls her to a stop so abruptly that she stumbles backwards- right into his chest. Before she can react, Ren puts both of his arms around her waist and holds her to him. Both of them are breathless and all Ren can say is "I said to wait…"

Kyoko sucks in a deep breath and struggles against his grasp. "L-let me go!"

Ren looks down at the girl in his arms. _Holding her feels… right. _He tightens his grip and it stuns Kyoko. Again she repeats her plea to no avail. He closes his eyes and they both stand there, back to front, in silence. Kyoko is trembling, overwhelmed. What she doesn't know is that Ren is also overwhelmed with feelings.

"Please… Tsuruga-san…"

Hearing his name brings him out of his thoughts. "No."

"Eh…?" _Please just let me go… I can't do this. _

"I said no. I won't let you go." _Ever again._

"B-but… Please!"

"No, Kyoko."

Once again she is stunned. She has heard him say her name a few times, but she couldn't get used to it. _Why say it now? Don't do this now!_

Ren balls up his fists, preparing himself. It has been so long since he discovered his feelings for Kyoko and it seems like he's held them in for an eternity. He knows she has given up on love and will reject him. He knows she could never feel something like love for him, someone she regards as just a senior at LME. Sho told him that night in the parking garage that Kyoko herself said she isn't in love with him. _But still… That doesn't change how _I _feel. _He takes a deep breath, looks towards the heavens for a sign of hope but continues even though he doesn't find any. "Kyoko, I am in love with you."

Kyoko's world stops spinning. "What…?" she whispers, not believing what she thought she heard. Ren releases her and she turns to peak at him. She lightly jumps when she finds him looking intently at her.

"I said… I am in love with you…" His jaw clenches. He has never been as nervous as he is now.

Kyoko takes his expression in. _He's serious…_ She shakes her head in horror. "No… No you can't be…" _I have been too damaged. No! He can't! Not for me…_

This was not the response Ren was expecting, but he'd take it over any of his imagined reactions from her.

"I… You…!" She is unable to form coherent thoughts. Ren places both hands on her cheeks and leans down until he is on eye level, forcing her to look right at him.

"Kyoko, breathe. Just talk to me. It's okay… No matter what your response is. My feelings can't be swayed" Some of his seriousness melts away and he smiles at her, meaning every word. Even if she rejects him, he is glad he told her. He has never been happier than he is now, looking into the eyes of the girl he loves. What Kyoko sees in his expression right then breaks her: his sweet expression, the seriousness in his words, and his love for her that is suddenly overflowing. Tears stream down her face and onto his hands.

"But… But you're you!" Kyoko blurts out between sobs.

Again, Ren is startled. "I'm me? What do you mean?" He searches her amber eyes for meaning.

"I am no one… You are my respected senior… You've always helped me so much…!" Again she is forced to speak as her tears pour down to his hands that are still on her. He uses his thumbs to wipe them away, tenderly caressing her. Kyoko fights the shiver that runs up her spine. "To… to have… feelings for you is inexcusable…!"

This time Ren's world stops. Both of them stand there, Kyoko crying and Ren stunned, in a world of their own where time has seemingly stopped. His thumbs pause their strokes and his heart stops beating. "What…?" He repeats her words in his head. _"To… to have… feelings for you is inexcusable…!" Feelings…? For… me? I must have heard wrong._

Kyoko mistakes his stunned silence for anger. _No! I said it! He knows! And now he'll hate me… _"I'm sorry Tsuruga-san! I know I should be ashamed for feeling this way for you…!"

_She does… _Ren releases her, places his face in his hand and let's go. He laughs. _All this time of hiding how I feel because I was scared she's hate me… And _she_ actually has feelings for _me_. _He was ecstatic.

"Uh… Tsuruga-san? You're not… angry?"

He looks at her and tries to contain his laughter. _Now_ he had never been happier. "You idiot."

"Eh!?"

He crosses his arms and fights to control his glee filled laughter that was now just a chuckle. "I just confessed to you and you think I would be upset that you have feelings for me? Idiot…" Kyoko just stands there, not sure what to say after he so blatantly talks about her exposed feelings. Ren steps up to her until he was a breath's length away. All laughter gone, he stares intently down at her. "Say it."

"Say… What…?" Kyoko timidly asks, not sure of what he means.

"Tell me how you feel…" _I'll second guess myself later if I don't hear it directly._

Kyoko's eyes widen with comprehension and a blush creeps up her neck, causing Ren to smile. _Tell him… the truth!? Like this? Now? _Her head is spinning and Ren relents, unable to cause the love of his life discomfort.

_Love of my life, huh…_ He pulls her into an embrace, sealing the distance between them. _Yeah… It has a nice ring to it._

If possible, Kyoko's face grows hotter and she is pressed it into Ren's chest. She knows she has so many other things to worry about, but all she can think and feel is Ren. She grabs fistfuls of his shirt and murmurs into it so he can just barely hear. "I love you, Ren."

He squeezes her tighter at her words, his heart swelling. _There's only one problem…_ he thinks to himself. _That's not my name…_ "Kyoko… There's something you need to know."


	12. The Past

**This was HARD. Seriously people, this was the hardest chapter to write because I couldn't find a way to express everything I wanted to express well enough. I won't spoil it for you as you are about to read it, but jeeze. I hope it comes across alright. Haha this is what happens when I have a dream about the last chapter of the manga coming out and it was _beautiful_ in my dream. It made me really want to work on this story and capture some of my dream. As soon as I woke up, I grabbed a notepad to write down the last long paragraph of this chapter. I didnt want to forget how I worded it. Enjoy and please review! This chapter means a lot to me because its a big deal for the story. Thanks :)**

* * *

_If possible, Kyoko's face grows hotter and she is pressed it into Ren's chest. She knows she has so many other things to worry about, but all she can think and feel is Ren. She grabs fistfuls of his shirt and murmurs into it so he can just barely hear. "I love you, Ren."_

_He squeezes her tighter at her words, his heart swelling.__There's only one problem…__he thinks to himself.__That's not my name…__"Kyoko… There's something you need to know."_

* * *

Kyoko looks up at Ren expectantly, waiting for him to go on. As he looks into her pure eyes, his thoughts travel to his past filled with pain and bloodshed. _I don't deserve her… But I want her. Especially now that I know she feels the same way for me…_ He smiles bitterly. _I'm selfish._ "Kyoko, why do you think I'm here?"

"Eh? What do you mean? In Kyoto?"

He shakes his head and releases her so that he can think straight. "I mean here," he motions around him, "at this particular part of the river bed."

Kyoko takes a moment to think and remembers that this is where she met Corn. _But that's just a coincidence… Didn't he just happen to be here?_ "Is there some special reason?"

_Will she hate me for lying to her…?_ "Yes."

Kyoko can see the torment in Ren's eyes, and she knows he's struggling with whatever he's trying to tell her. She steps up to him and places a hand tentatively on his cheek in order to soothe him. "Ren…? What is it?"

Her touch sends waves of peace through him, coaxing the truth out of him. He looks at the river he spent what seemed like so much time at with Kyoko and smiles at the memories. "I've been here before… With you." She takes her hand away and looks at him with a face full of confusion. Now where she had touched him had left a heat that lingered even with her hand gone. "And my name isn't Ren Tsuruga."

This stuns Kyoko and she shakes her head, not comprehending. "I don't understand."

He turns away from her and goes to sit under a tree. Kyoko follows him and kneels down beside him, but he hangs his head so he doesn't have to look her in the eye. He has never personally told the truth of his past to anyone before. Those who know it all had found out through different means. He is at a loss of how to go about it. _Like like a band-aid._ "Kyoko, my name is Kuon Hizuri."

She can't speak as she tries to piece the puzzles together. _Kuon… Hizuri…? But isn't that Father's son's name? I thought he said he had passed away?_ She thinks back on when Kuu was describing his son. _Wait… No, he never did say that exactly. He just said that he should be… _She looks right at Ren as she fights to understand the truth staring her in the face. _20\. Or I guess now 21…_

"Kyoko?" His voice snaps her out of her thoughts, bringing her back to the here and now. He had glanced up at her to find her staring at him deep in thought. The wait for her response is driving him crazy.

"Kuon Hizuri? So your father is… Kuu Hizuri?"

_Ah… I forgot about that._ "Yes, he is."

A slow blush creeps up her face as she remembers acting as a young Kuon and how she had run into Ren, who she now knows is the person himself. She does her best to make herself as small as possible, wishing her embarrassment would make her disappear. Ren chuckles as he watches her overcome with self-consciousness.

"Kyoko, it's okay." He takes both of her hands that are now hiding her face away so that he can look at her. While he is ashamed of his deceit, he doesn't want to sit back and do nothing. He decides to do what he's best at- tease her. It always seems to bring her out of herself. "It was a very interesting experience when you acted as me. Particularly when you acted like you had never met me, even though you were playing the person in question." He draws closer to her and smiles evilly. "I believe that was the first time you called my name, but now you've done it twice today. Would you like to do it again?"

"No! No I'm okay! I don't need to!" _Ah… _Realizing what he was trying to do, she pouts. "You're a bully, Tsuru-" She is going to use his surname so that she can avoid saying Ren, but she decides against using it too. "Kuon."

He smiles broadly at hearing his name come from her lips. "Yes, I know."

_His name really does sound like Corn though. _Suddenly she remembers him saying that he has met her there before. _"Kyoko, why do you think I'm here?"_ She freezes. _Wait… What?_ Again she becomes lost in her thoughts as she remembers her time with Corn in Guam. _I know they looked similar, but he said it was from the magic. But… What if…_ She starts to shake as the truth settles in. "Why _are_ you here, Ren? Ah! Kuon. No… uh…" She was becoming increasingly confused. _Who… Who is he? Which name do I use? Is he… Corn!?_

"Just call me Ren. I've been Ren Tsuruga for six years now."

"And before that…?"

_I have to tell her everything…_ He runs a hand through his hair and rests the back of his head against the tree trunk. It all comes rushing out, "I was born in America. I'm part American, Russian, and Japanese. Because of my mixed blood, I used to be bullied a lot as a child. Plus I had a famous actor as a father and a model as a mother. I was looked down on."

Kyoko's heart breaks for the young Kuon. _He went through so much when he was so young… But that's… just like Corn._

"I loved my parents. My father was my hero. I came with him when he visited Japan for a promotion, and we came here to Kyoto." He smiles up at the leaves in the tree, still not looking at her. "That's when I met you."

Kyoko pays attention to his every word, but she still struggles to understand. "So you're…?"

Ren's smile drops a little, but the memories of when they first met and she mistook him as a fairy named Corn make it impossible to not smile at all. "I couldn't bring myself to correct you. You looked so excited to meet a fairy prince so I became Corn. Like I said, my father was my hero. So I wanted to try acting a role like him. I do love him… But it was difficult to live in the shadow of someone so famous." He finally tries to look at her, and she is staring at him wide-eyed. His heart sinks. "I didn't think much of Japan before then, but you gave me a reason to love it."

"Why…" Kyoko finally finds her voice. "Why didn't you ever tell me…? After all this time of working together, there were plenty of opportunities." She is so overwhelmed that tears form in her eyes. When she was young, Corn had helped her immensely when her mother had upset her. He continued to help even after he had left due to the stone he gave her. She owed him a lifetime of thanks, but she is too bewildered to do it now.

Ren balls up his fists, getting ready to delve into a history he wishes she would never have to know._ Don't stop now, coward. _"Because of Kuon."

"What?"

"After I left Japan, I went back to America and tried to act, but everyone had expectations of Kuu Hizuri's son that I couldn't fulfill… Eventually I started to draw away from my parents." He drops his face so Kyoko can't see his expression as he struggles to bare himself before her. "I became wild. Fighting was a game to me; I loved to hurt people who thought themselves better than me. Around that time I had met a man- Rick. He tried to help me control myself by mentoring me. But one night…" A chill comes over Ren. He has thought about that night so many times, but he's never had to tell the story. "He tried to stop me from hurting this group of guys, and his girlfriend, Tina, was smacked to the ground. I went after the group and Rick followed us… We ran across a street and he was hit. They say he died instantly…"

Kyoko reaches out and places a hand on his trembling arm. To her, he looks as if he is willing his existence away. His face is still turned away from her, but her show of affection warms him to his core- making it easier to continue his story.

"I can still remember Tina's screams as she held his bloodied body. She called me a murderer, and rightfully so…" Ren takes a steadying breath. "After that, I sunk deeper into my own personal hell and eventually ran away to Toyko. Lory took me under his wing, but with one condition: I had to leave my name, my past, everything of my old life behind and become someone else. So the actor Ren Tsuruga was born." Finally Ren looks over at Kyoko and slightly smiles, "And it was all going according to plan until that girl from Kyoto came waltzing back into my life. The rest is history." He is relieved to be done with his story as he searches her eyes for any signs of fear or disgust, but all he finds is sadness and something else- something he had never noticed in her before.

"Why didn't you say anything in Guam…? I wasn't that little girl any more who needed the fairy prince Corn to soothe my pain. You could've told me… You even went so far as to say you were cursed and it could only be broken by a…" _kiss. _Her cheeks heat at the memory.

_She's not revolted by me? But why?_ "I couldn't bring myself to. You looked so excited to see Corn and I just… I liked being with you with your walls down. You talked to me as if I was a beloved friend instead of a respected senior. Those moments in Guam are precious to me." Ren smiles at the sweet moments he had shared with her. "And that bit about being cursed… I was angry at myself for making the situation difficult for you, but at the time I was in Kuon mode, and I became jealous every time you would talk about doing right by Ren- er. Me." He shakes his head at the complexity of it all. "Kuon and I are like two different people sharing one body. I couldn't forgive myself for causing Rick's death so I sealed the Kuon part of me inside and lived as Ren Tsuruga. However, it seems we are both in love with the same girl, and the Kuon in me is a sneaky bastard. I think he would do anything for a kiss." Ren laughs and places a hand on her cheek affectionately. "Anyway, it seems that neither one of us wants to disappoint you, so a middle ground was found. That day in Guam you said something about everything in your past leading to that moment. That's what did it for me… Everything, including Rick's death, lead me to you."

Kyoko leans into his touch as a tear escapes her eye. "I'm sorry all of that happened to you." _I could try to convince him Rick's death wasn't his fault, that is was an accident, but his face when he said it told me it would hopeless. _She contemplates all that he has said and recalls when they were acting as Cain and Setsu. She had noticed someone else in control of Ren, but now she fully understood. _So that was Kuon…_

"Why…"

She sits up, realizing she once again became lost in her thoughts. "Why what?"

"Why are you not angry?" _Disgusted? Hurt? Upset?_

She places a hand over his that is on her cheek and intertwines her fingers with his, and he sees that same silent emotion in her eyes that he hasn't noticed before now. "Because… You are you."

He looks at her confusedly. "What?"

She smiles assuredly at him so that he sees that she is being truthful. "Ren, Kuon, and Corn are all you. I am shocked… And it probably just hasn't completely sunken in, but that's okay. You've helped me through so much with Sho, my mother, and my acting. I am nothing but grateful to know you…" She moves her thumb in circles on his hand, trying to soothe him. She can see the torment on his face and in his voice after all that he has told her. Ren just watches her for any signs of any negative emotion.

Kyoko continues, "When we met, apparently _again_, you saw me at my worst. I was broken, but you knocked some sense into me. When I struggled through roles, you gave me encouragement. When I… When I thought I had lost the most important emotion a human being can have, the emotion that makes us human…" She is struggling to get all of her words out, fighting back the rush of emotions. She _was _shocked, but she couldn't bring herself to dislike him. He had done so much for her. "You brought it back to me…" She stops herself from voicing the rest of her thoughts, knowing that if she does then she'll probably never stop. _I can never thank you enough for just being alive. If you didn't then everything I've been through wouldn't have led me to you. It would've led nowhere. You've put the pieces of me back together…_ She thinks about the time she told Ren about why she wants to act and how she had mentioned wanting to recreate herself. _I've only been able to do it because of you._ She can't find the words to express herself in a satisfying way anyway. She has too much to say and too many feelings.

Ren is finally able to put a title to the emotion he sees in her amber eyes- love. _I know I don't deserve this… How could I? How could someone so pure love someone so dirty?_ He brings his other hand up to her cheek and she places her other over his. They stare into each other's eyes and Ren is overcome with a need to touch her more. He had held back so long that now that he knows she loves him, he wants to let go and worship her touch. _This girl… When did I fall this far?_ Done second guessing himself, he gives into his secret desire and captures her lips with his, transferring all of his thoughts and emotions to her through it.

Ren has kissed many women before with what he thought was love, but this is so different from all of those times. _This girl is different._ Then he had given into lust and kissed women with no emotion; now he is giving into love and kissing Kyoko like the treasure she is to him. He is thankful for her very existence. She who blew away the demons of his past with a single, small kiss; who gained control over a side of him that even he couldn't manage simply because that side also loves her fiercely. She has brought light into his dark, desolate world, and seen all that he is yet still found a way to accept it all. He loves her, and more surprisingly to him, she loves him back.

So he kisses her- and she feels it all.


	13. The Clash

**What. A. Crappy. Week. Sorry for being late guys. I've just had the worst week on record this year so I was a little too distracted to write a new chapter. Anyway, things are looking better now so I figured I would try to post one. Please let me know what you think. **

* * *

_So he kisses her- and she feels it all._

* * *

"Good evening, how may I he- Fuwa-kun!?"

Sho doesn't stop as he enters Fuwa Ryokan, going straight towards his mother's room. Though he has been gone for years, the layout of the inn hasn't changed at all. He can still remember where everything is. "Where is the old hag?"

"Please wait! She's indisposed at the moment!" The worker cries out in vain.

Sho continues his pursuit until he reaches his destination. Throwing open his mother's door, he finds her at a desk going over important documents. Startled, she looks up and stands when she recognizes her son.

"Shotaro, you're home," she greets him with a warm smile. Walking up to him, she places her hands on his arms.

"No, I'm not. Where is she?" He ignores her elated expression and brushes her off.

Her expression falls. "Where is who…?"

He turns toward the opening of her room. "Kyoko!" He yells, hoping Kyoko will hear and answering his mother's question all at once.

Fuwa-san steps up to him and places a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "She's not here!" she yells over him. He slaps her hand away and begins to leave the room to search for Kyoko. _After all this time, this is… _She hardens her heavy heart. _This is no longer the son I know…_

"She's been taking a break for a while now."

Sho stops. "Where is she?"

"I don't know. She was in her room for a while and then went out."

_But she's still here… That's all I need to know._ "Fine. I'll wait here for her." _I'll show that b*tch. She can't just screw me over. _

Fuwa-san bows to him, slightly surprising Sho with her distancing action. "I understand."

* * *

The sun is beginning to set as the two take in its beauty, neither breaking the perfect silence with words. They are both still underneath a tree, Ren leaning his back against the trunk with his arm around Kyoko who is resting against his side. As the darkness settles in from the receding light, Ren tightens his grip on her knowing that she will soon have to go back to the inn and back to reality. Thoughts of duty begin to run in Kyoko's mind as the weight of her decisions come down with her as she falls from cloud nine.

_What have I done?_ Kyoko wonders.

"Don't." Ren's voice cuts through her reverie, causing her to jump.

"Eh? Don't what?"

"Don't worry about this alone. I am here, I will help."

Kyoko is still having difficulty comprehending the events that have just taken place, let alone that she is now sitting in Ren's embrace. She is also reeling from his kiss- the kiss that left her breathless and dizzy. However she is now beginning to understand that she does not want to drag him into her mess. _I've let him do too much already…_ "I understand, but I can manage this."

"Kyoko-" Ren is cut off when she stands abruptly.

"I need to get back." _Besides, he never really did say he wanted to be together. Someone like him has to keep a certain image and I'd ruin it for him._ She starts walking away without glancing his way again and he decides to follow her back to the inn, suspicious of how distant she now seems.

"Kyoko, what's wrong?" He asks, trying to bring her back to him.

"Nothing is. I just remembered that I still have some things to take care of before the morning. There's still a lot to be done." She says this so simply, as if it is an obvious thing, that Ren almost doesn't realize what her words insinuate.

_She's not leaving?_ "Wait, Kyoko what are you talking about? You're not returning to Tokyo?"

"I can't. I promised I would take over the inn." _…with Imai-san._

Ren stops walking, not fathoming her words. _Wait… What? But what about what just happened?_ All of a sudden he is filled with anger. Normally he would suppress his frustrations, but after being so open to her he is feeling the effects of letting down his walls. Ren and Kuon are now one, and this new him is upset at Kyoko's aloofness.

"What are you doing?" he asks with a low voice.

Kyoko stops. She braces herself before turning to look at him. "I can't keep relying on you like this. You've helped so much already with my mother, this problem is my own."

_Her own…? She acts like we're not together-_ Ren is stunned when he finally realizes why she is acting this way. "Kyoko, wait. We need to talk about something." _She may be inexperience, but certainly she's not _that_ dense._

"Oh!" Arata Imai steps out of the tree line, stopping Ren from continuing. "I'm sorry, I went for a walk and got lost." His eyes meet Kyoko's and he looks at her with surprise. "Oh, Mogami-san. I'm sorry for interrupting." He looks between her and Ren, taking in the intense atmosphere being emitted from Ren. "Do you think you could show me how to get back to the inn?"

Kyoko cringes internally at Arata's sudden appearance, but flashes her best professional smile. She knows that she really doesn't have a right to complain, but she can't help but think that he isn't fit to run an inn.

"Of course. It's right this way." She motions in the direction of the inn like a perfect ryokan host would and begins to walk that way while Arata follows closely behind, continuously apologizing to her as she simply shakes her head with the best smile she can muster. Ren watches the two of them walking away and smothers his unfounded feelings of distaste for Arata- that is until he sees a spark in Arata's eyes as he watches Kyoko when she looks away from him. Suddenly the klutzy child Ren met before his meeting with Kyoko is gone, and a man with an agenda is standing with her.

_What the hell is that?_

Arata glances back at Ren, who is still standing still, and raises an eyebrow at him before smiling maliciously.

He darkens his gaze at Arata in warning, but it doesn't seem to faze him. Exasperated, Ren runs a hand through his hair and follows after them. _Seriously…?_

All of them arrive at the inn just as Sho is walking out of it. "Forget it, I'm going to find her myself!" _I'm tired of waiting. _But he stops when he spots the trio. _What the hell!?_ Though he has no idea that the man beside Kyoko is her arranged marriage partner, he is still furious when he sees Ren behind them. In turn, Ren and Kyoko freeze when their eyes land on him.

"Shotaro!?" Kyoko steps up to him, leaving Ren and Arata together. "What are you doing here?"

"The old woman called me." He looks past her and at Ren. "I didn't know you were here with him." Looking back at Kyoko, he snidely adds, "For someone so not in love with him, you sure act like you are. You follow each other everywhere."

Kyoko immediate flushes. "That's none of your business!" She crosses her arms and looks away from him.

Sho had been expecting her to flare up at him for bringing up her possible affection for Ren again, but her actions now make him do it instead. "Wait a minute, you are aren't you?" He clenches his fists but Kyoko pushes past him without responding. She quickly retreats to her room, tired from all of the events that have taken place in such a short time. Ren, now alone with Sho and Arata, is dumbfounded. He doesn't know what to make of the look Arata had given him, and he certainly does not like Sho's presence in Kyoto.

Arata follows Kyoko's path, and Ren starts to stop him until Sho gets in the way. "You." Sho walks up to Ren with a threatening atmosphere, cutting off Ren's objective. "What do you think you're doing here?"

Fed up with the last thirty minutes of activity, Ren lets Kuon shine through when he looks menacingly at Sho. "F*ck you." Sho instinctively takes a step back from him, once again fearing the beast inside of Ren that wants nothing more than make use of his own clenched fists. Looking towards the inn, Ren decides to head to his room, leaving the impending battle with Sho behind. _I'm not going to let her run from me anymore… If she's been hiding her feelings for a while then she's run too much. I've held back too long to hold back now._

Kyoko enters her room and slumps down against the wall, sighing heavily. A knock on her door breaks her silent contemplation.

"Mogami-san?" Arata's voice comes through the door to her room.

She sits up more politely and straightens her appearance before responding. "Come in."

He closes the door behind him after entering and goes to sit in front of her. "Thank you for seeing me." He bows slightly and smiles at her.

"Of course," she responds simply, trying to hide her inner feelings. She is exhausted and wishes to go to bed even if she knows she won't be able to sleep.

"I just wanted to make sure everything is okay. I guess you could say I was surprised when I ran into you and Ren Tsuruga on that forest path. But the atmosphere between you two was intimidating. I still feel bad for interrupting." His politeness disarms Kyoko and she relaxes a bit before him, much to his hidden satisfaction.

Kyoko isn't at all surprised that Arata recognized Ren- anyone would. "It's okay. Everything is fine. I've just known Tsuruga-san from my time in Tokyo and we were catching up."

"Ah. I see." He smiles again, "If you ever need someone to speak to, I am here to help."

This time Kyoko bows to him in thanks. "I appreciate that. I will remember that."

Arata stands and heads toward her door. "Well then, that's all I wanted to say. Have a good night, Mogami-san."

"Goodnight, Imai-san."

"Ah, please call me Arata. We may be running this place together some day so there's no need for pleasantries."

"I understand, Arata-san." Kyoko finally truly smiles at him and he returns one to her before exiting her room. With him gone, she changes clothes and slides into her futon. Today's events come flooding back to her and she presses the heels of her hands into her closed eyes. _What am I going to do?_ Tears threaten to spill as she is overcome with all of her emotions, particularly the ones she has been hiding from Ren for some time now. _I love him and somehow he loves me… Me! But… I don't match him. He can't be with me. Someone like me will only drag him down. Plus I've already made plans to inherit this inn. I can't just back out now. And Arata-san seems nice enough, though he doesn't seem well equipped to run a nice ryokan…_ Kyoko's thoughts continue ceaselessly through the night as she struggles to figure out what to do. _Ren…_

* * *

"I understand. Don't worry, I don't think she suspects anything." Arata smiles at the voice on the other end of his phone as he speaks quietly. "It'll be pretty easy to make her fall for me. Oh! There was one surprise though." He waits while the person on the other end responds. "Ren Tsuruga is here. I didn't think someone like him would follow her all the way here." Once again he pauses and is shocked at the person's words. "You don't say… So he's done all of that to you. That explains what I saw of their interaction today in the woods. He's in love with her. Well I guess I need to get to work then to change that. Plus Sho Fuwa is here now, he's bound to become a headache."

"Arata, let's go." His father calls out to him from a car waiting in front of Fuwa Ryokan. They have decided to stay somewhere else so that Arata and Kyoko can maintain some distance before their official engagement.

Arata places a hand over the receiver on his cell. "You go ahead, I'll catch up later. I have some things to do in town." _Being stuck with someone so boring will kill me if I don't get some… entertainment. _His father is swept away in the car and Arata returns his attention to his phone with a sigh. "Anyway, I'll take care of things here. She should have no qualms with staying here when I'm done with her. I don't care if Ren Tsuruga, Sho Fuwa or anyone else tries to get in the way." He laughs at the person's response. "No, not cocky. Just confident. Oh and Saena-san, you owe me one."

She scoffs on the other end, "_Oh please. You're getting exactly what you wanted. To get your own ryokan and get out of your father's shadow. Don't screw with me. I owe you nothing."_

Arata rolls his eyes. "True, I don't give a sh*t about you or your dull daughter. But still, you could at least _try_ to humor me."

This time Saena's smile is almost audible to Arata. "_Well I'll be there in a few days to check on things. I could… humor… you then,_" she responds suggestively.

Arata smiles. "Good. Until then, I'm going to go find some 'humor' in town." He hangs up and dials another number for a cab. _I just hope this place is worth it. I might even feel bad for Kyoko if I didn't remember that I don't give a crap about her. _While he waits for his cab, he begins to contemplate how to deal with someone of Ren's caliber. _Sorry big shot, but you're in the way. __  
_


	14. The Coming Storm

**I really wish I knew Sho's mom's name. If anyone knows or could think of an awesome name for her, I would love to hear it. Anyway, sorry for another late update. It's been pretty busy for me lately. I hope you guys enjoy! :)**

* * *

_Arata smiles. "Good. Until then, I'm going to go find some 'humor' in town." He hangs up and dials another number for a cab.__I just hope this place is worth it. I might even feel bad for Kyoko if I didn't remember that I don't give a crap about her.__While he waits for his cab, he begins to contemplate how to deal with someone of Ren's caliber.__Sorry big shot, but you're in the way._

* * *

Kyoko awakens to sunlight filtering into her room. She lies in quiet contemplation as the memories of the previous day come flooding back to her. _So it wasn't a dream…_ A blush creeps up her face when her thoughts land on Ren's kiss. She begins floundering around and pulls her blanket over her face. _I can't believe it…!_

A knock on her door brings her slightly out of her blanket that is now completely wrapped around her. On the other side of her door, Fuwa-san calls out to her. "Kyoko-chan? Are you awake?" She slides the door open slightly so that she can glance inside. When she spots Kyoko, she chuckles slightly. _Looks like a… caterpillar. _

Kyoko sits up respectably when she sees Fuwa-san. "Yes, come in."

Sitting in front of Kyoko, Fuwa-san smiles fondly at her. "I thought we could talk for a moment before everyone wakes up."

Kyoko nods, uncertain of what she wants to talk about.

"I hope you slept well. I saw you for a moment when you came home last night and you did not look so good. Is everything okay?"

Kyoko pauses for a moment as she is overcome with her feelings. _She could tell just by looking at me? _She still hasn't grown used to having a motherly figure in her life. She hangs her head so that Fuwa-san can't see her expression. "Yes, I'm fine. It was just a long day." _I don't want to burden her with my troubles. _

A bittersweet smile crosses Fuwa-san's lips as she realizes that Kyoko still refuses to open up to her. In response, she scoots closer to Kyoko and places a hand under her chin to lift her face. "Kyoko-chan, I am not Saena."

Kyoko is confused by her words. "What-"

"Please let me finish." She drops her hand from Kyoko. "I thought something was odd when Saena contacted me about your visit. You didn't mention anything so I thought I wouldn't bring up my concerns… I may be old, but I am not stupid. Your mother… While she may have had her reasons for leaving, it doesn't change the fact that she abandoned you." She smiles again and pats Kyoko on her head. "Though I am glad I was able to have you as my daughter for some time."

Kyoko scrunches her shoulders in embarrassment. "Thank you…"

"However…" Fuwa-san continues, "Because of her leaving you, I am not so gullible to believe that you two suddenly became on such good terms that she knows to call and tell me that you would be arriving here. If she could leave such an adorable little girl such as yourself, then I don't see her changing her ways easily. Even if that adorable little girl is now a grown woman with this new hair of yours." Fuwa-san laughs as she brushes some of Kyoko's hair off her shoulder. She takes a moment to reminisce before her expression turns somber. "Kyoko-chan… Would you please tell me what is going on? The whole story… I don't trust Saena's intentions when she called."

Kyoko just looks at her as she tries to decide what to do. She wants to tell Fuwa-san, but she doesn't want to burden her with it either. Finally, she decides to just tell her. Before she can speak, however, a strange crashing noise disrupts the silence.

"What was that?" Fuwa-san stands and goes to Kyoko's door, looking out into the empty hall. While she does this, Kyoko silently deflates- her courage to tell Fuwa-san leaving her for the moment.

_I'll tell her later…_ "I will change and go look. I am sure you have other things to take care of."

Fuwa-san looks her at disappointedly.

"We can talk tonight if that is alright with you…"

Relieved to hear that, Fuwa-san leaves Kyoko to get dressed. With her being gone, Kyoko takes a deep breath and slaps her cheeks in order to cheer herself up. _Let's go, Kyoko!_

Once she is dressed, Kyoko quietly makes her way around the ryokan in search of the source of the soft crash earlier. When she walks past the door to Ren's room, it startles her by abruptly opening. She and Ren stand still, shocked to see the other standing there.

"Kyoko," Ren murmurs with a slight smile. "Good morning."

She blushes as usual and bows in an attempt to hide it. "Good morning! I hope that you slept well," she says with a little too much enthusiasm.

Ren chuckles at her obvious embarrassment and places a hand on her head. "I did," he easily lies. In fact, he hadn't slept much at all as he tried to sort out his thoughts. He knows that he needs to find out why Sho is there, what Arata is up to, and how to convince Kyoko to go back to Tokyo with him. He also has the suspicion that Saena is up to something behind the scenes simply because he knows from his short experience with her that she isn't one to go away quietly.

Kyoko glances shyly up at him, and that is when she notices a cell phone on the floor on the other side of the room. Seeing her gaze, Ren looks behind him and spots his cell phone.

"Um… Is everything okay?" Kyoko asks as she remembers hearing the crash earlier.

Ren doesn't answer her and instead pulls her into his arms as shock runs through her and straight to her racing heart.

"U-Um! Ren!" _  
_

Hearing the panic in her voice, he releases her and smirks at her. "If you're going to become this flustered from just a hug, I hate to imagine what you'll be like later." He places a hand under her chin and brings his face down to hers. "Actually that might be pretty interesting too…"

With this, Kyoko all but combusts as she struggles to find something to say. _But... There won't be a later._

Ren finally relents and presses his forehead to hers. "Don't worry… I won't do anything until you're ready…" He kisses her forehead, letting his lips linger on her a moment longer than normal. He looks down at her so that she can see the sincerity in his words. "I've never been in love with someone before you. I don't want to mess this up. I won't…"

_Mess what up? _Kyoko's heart swells with hope and she hugs him. "Thank you, Ren."

Now it is Ren's turn to be a bit surprised with her actions, though he doesn't miss a bit of sadness that is lacing her voice. _Oh God… Talk about testing my willpower… But she seems a little... down. _

Remembering her question and wanting to change the subject, Kyoko looks up at Ren while her arms are still around him. "You never did tell me what's wrong."

He sighs and places his arms around her waist. "The President called. He just gave me some bad news." She's _coming here…_ His thoughts turn sour at the thought.

"Oh…" Kyoko detects the strain in his voice. "I'm sorry." She peeks up at him and smiles shyly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ren steals the opportunity of her looking up at him to swiftly kiss her. "Thanks, but its okay." He lets her go and enters his room, leaving a stunned Kyoko standing like a statue.

"I- I thought…!" Kyoko stammers.

"I said I won't do anything you're not ready for. We already kissed yesterday, so I'd say you're ready for at least that much."

She is so flabbergasted that she is unable to come up with a retort. _Don't kiss me if we aren't together!__ Please... I can't take it..._ Her face visibly pales, though Ren thinks it's just because she doesn't know how to respond to his affections.

"I'm going to change. We can talk later." He glances at her one last time. "Unless you want to help me" he asks nonchalantly. He doesn't wait for her answer though as her expression turns even paler at the thought. He chuckles but curses himself. _I shouldn't tease her this much._

What they both don't know is that someone is hiding just around the corner at the end of the hall and isn't very happy with the conversation they have just heard. _Great… This just makes my life that much harder._

* * *

"Mogami-san?" Arata comes timidly up to Kyoko. "May I have a moment of your time?"

"Ah, Arata-san. Good morning." Kyoko bows to him.

"I was thinking that we could go out today. You've been so busy here that we haven't really had any time to get to know each other."

Kyoko is slightly surprised by his offer. _Like a… date?_ _But…_ "I don't know if today would be the best day."

Arata looks at her dejectedly. "Ah… I see. Well then maybe tomorrow…"

Kyoko tries to cheer him up by agreeing. "Yes, that sounds nice."

"Alright, it's a date!" He says loudly before quickly walking off.

Sighing, Kyoko turns to continue her rounds but bumps into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry." She looks up to find Sho sneering down at her.

"What this? The great Ren Tsuruga isn't enough for you so you now have that rat following you around?"

"He's not a rat." She forces her way around him, but he follows behind her.

"No?" He feigns innocence. "Oh my bad. It's A_rat_a. Same thing though."

Kyoko stops and turns on him. "What do you want?"

Sho grabs her wrist and pulls her into an empty room. "We need to talk."

She wrenches her arm away. "I don't have time for this. After all that you've done to me, we are done with talking. I want you out of my life, Shotaro." She attempts to leave, but he blocks her path.

"You'll listen to what I have to say if you want this to be a happy ending for you." He crosses his arms and waits until she gives in.

"Fine. What is it?" Kyoko sighs exasperatedly.

"It's your mom."

Kyoko is taken by surprise and listens intently. "What?"

"She's why you're here. She's why Arata is here and why _my_ mom thinks you're taking this place over, though you agreeing to do it doesn't help."

Kyoko scoffs. "That impossible. I came here because I was f-"

"Fired. Yeah, I know. In fact, I probably know more about that than you do."

"What do you mean…?" _What is he talking about?_

"I mean that your mother contacted me about making you leave Tokyo and show business. She forced that President of yours to fire you. It seems he couldn't employ you without her permission, which she wasn't about to give."

Kyoko's mind races, not believing what she is hearing. "But that doesn't mean I would've moved here… And… And Arata-san…"

"Where else would you have gone? I knew you would've left and no one knows you better than I do." Sho smirks at that and sits down on a couch, making himself at home.

"But what about the arranged marriage?"

Sho runs a hand through his hair and glares at nothing. "That was all your mom. I didn't know she was going to do it. Apparently she wants something to keep you even more tied down here. I guess the responsibilities of a ryokan isn't enough."

Kyoko sits down on the couch beside him, and he looks her over. He knows he's done her wrong, but he would do anything to keep himself as the biggest existence in Kyoko's heart even if it is in a bad way.

"Why are you telling me this now?" She is staring out at nothing as she lets everything sink in.

"Because she pissed me off by going behind my back. I'm getting even."

Realization dawns on Kyoko and she is suddenly suspicious of Arata. "Why Arata? Does he know her?"

Sho shrugs. "I don't know. The Imai family was never big around here. Normally he wouldn't be chosen unless they suddenly have something to offer that I don't know about." _Or he does know that b*tch and she's using him to get to her. _

"I see…" Kyoko stands. _The chances aren't zero…_ "I have some things to take care of." She heads towards to door.

"Kyoko." She stops and looks at him. "Be careful of him. Though I don't like it, you should get Tsuruga to help."

She takes a moment before turning back around and leaves. _I can't do that… He's done enough already._ As she round a corner at one end of the hall, Ren comes around the other and watches her leave.

_So that's what happened._ Ren steps into the room she had just left in order to confront Sho. Though he is surprised to see Ren, he doesn't show it.

"Let me guess: You heard our conversation." Sho, who was starting to get up from the couch, settles back into it. "What do you want?"

"I need your help."

"Oh?" Sho scoffs at the idea of it. "What could the great Ren Tsuruga want with me?"

Ren stands in front of Sho. "You care about her. And you and I both know that she is happiest in front of a camera. Help me get her back home."

"Maybe I like her being here."

"Maybe. But her mother is coming here and I've seen what she'll do to Kyoko." Sho glares at him for using Kyoko's name, but Ren ignores it.

"How do you know she's coming?"

"I was worried for Kyoko so I asked for some help from a friend to keep track of her," Ren responds swiftly and concisely. "The important thing is that if she stays here then she will never be happy. Plus that Arata kid…" Ren recalls the expression he saw on Arata's face the night before. "Something if off about him. I think you are right, he's not here for the right reasons."

Sho weighs his options. Either he agrees to Ren's proposition and help Kyoko get back to Tokyo, or he sides with Saena who will be arriving any day. In the end, he chooses what would make him the most satisfied. Standing up, he faces Ren with a face full of contempt. "I'll help just this once. For her."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

"So what did you do before coming back here?" Arata asks Kyoko. They are sitting at a small café in town on their promised date. Kyoko is slowly warming up to him, her suspicions melting away as she gets to know him better.

_He just doesn't seem bad…_ "I did a bit of acting."

"Oh! Is that how you know Ren Tsuruga? You two seem really close."

She smiles, not wanting to give anything away. "Yes, he was my senior at the company I worked at. He helped me a lot. He's just here because I suddenly left."

"Are you dating?" Arata bluntly asks.

Kyoko blushes furiously. "Oh! No we're not! We're just coworkers." _If only…_

_She's so obvious. _He wants to roll his eyes, but doesn't dare break his façade. "Ex-coworkers right?"

This is a shock to Kyoko's heart as his words hit a sore spot. "Right…"

"So you guys really have nothing to do with each other then. I wonder why he's here then… Vacation in the right spot?"

Kyoko's thoughts begin to wander. _Why is he here exactly? It couldn't be for what happened the other day… Could it?_ _Maybe he does want to be with…_ She vigorously shakes her head and Arata watches her curiously. _No no no! There's no way Ren would really want to be with… me…_ All of his words from the other day come flooding back- his confession, the story of his past, he saying that he is here for her. She could still visualize the frustration in his face when she said she wasn't going back to Tokyo. _Why would he even ask that if he wasn't here to…_

"Mogami-san?" Arata tries to bring her thoughts back to their conversation, but it fails. Kyoko stands abruptly and grabs her purse.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." Before Arata can respond, she starts to walk away. _I have to talk to him. I have to figure it out…_ She takes a few quick steps but stops when she hears her name.

"Kyoko! What a pleasant surprise." Both she and Arata turn in surprise to see Saena with bags in each hand. "I thought I'd come for a visit. It's been so long since I've been here after all."

Arata rolls his eyes and silently curses her. _Seriously? She's early…_

Kyoko on the other hand stands in shock. "Mother…"

"Come here and help with my bags. You can take them to Fuwa Ryokan for me. I thought I'd stay there while I'm here so I can be close to my dear daughter." Saena's words a laced with ill-disguised sarcasm and she glances at Arata. "Oh? I'm sorry, am I interrupting a date?" She feigns ignorance as she walks over to Arata and extends a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Kyoko's mother."

Arata pauses before taking her hand and squeezing it too tightly. "The _pleasure_ is all mine, ma'am," he replies suggestively and quietly so that Kyoko can't hear. "Don't worry, you're not interrupting." _Oh well… At least she saved me from being bored to death._

She squeezes his hand back at his use of 'ma'am'. "Good. Then you can help too."

Arata picks up her bags and the three of them make their way to the inn, Kyoko following a good distance behind them in order to avoid Saena's gaze as much as possible. _Why is she here…?_


	15. Lightning

**IMPORTANT! So I did get a suggestion for Fuwa-san's name. From this point on her name is Sayuri Fuwa. Also, I meant to mention this the last couple of chapters but it kept slipping my mind. I have hit (and now far surpassed) the 100 follower mark for this story. Thank you so much everyone! You have no idea how much that means to me :) Thank you for reading and following this journey I've created for Ren and Kyoko. You guys are the best! My birthday is this week so that's like an awesome present to me :) WOO!**

* * *

_Arata picks up her bags and the three of them make their way to the inn, Kyoko following a good distance behind them in order to avoid Saena's gaze as much as possible.__Why is she here…?_

* * *

Arata, Saena and Kyoko arrive at Fuwa Ryokan after a short while. Sayuri, who is helping tend to their flower garden is startled by seeing Saena. _Oh dear…_ She sets her shears down and approaches the trio cautiously, glancing at Kyoko to make sure she isn't distressed. "Good evening. It's been a while, hasn't it Saena-san?"

Saena smiles pleasantly, secretly satisfied that Sayuri still hasn't seen through her façade. "I didn't know if you would recognize me. It has been years after all."

Sayuri bows politely. "Of course. I never forget a face." Standing straight, Sayuri gestures toward the inn. "Let's head inside. It's quite warm out so let me have something to drink prepared for you. I'm sure Arata-san is tired from carrying the luggage."

Arata internally rolls his eyes. _Tell me about it!_ He smiles awkwardly and wipes sweat from his brow. "Ah! Thank you very much!"

Saena looks at Arata and smirks. "My bad," she mutters low enough for just him to hear.

_B*tch._ Arata leads the way into the inn and drops her suitcases roughly on the ground as soon as he's inside. "Oh I'm so sorry. They slipped from my grip. It must be because they're so heavy."

Saena ignores his behavior. "That's fine."

Sayuri gestures for one of her workers to gather the luggage. "I'll have it moved to an open room for you, Saena-san." The worker bows deeply and takes the luggage away.

This whole time, Kyoko has been standing back, away from the group as she did not want to mingle with her mother. She turn away from them and looks at the sky that is darkening with coming rain. With so much going on here, she longs to return to Tokyo. _I still need to talk to Ren… I have to figure out his intentions._

"Kyoko." As a drop of rain lands on Kyoko's cheek, Saena calls out to her. "How about you and I have some tea together later? It's been a little while since I've seen you so we should catch up."

Kyoko can tell that it isn't truly a request. Understanding her secret order, she simply nods before turning to Arata. "I'm sorry but I have some chores to take care of so I will have to leave you now. Have a good day," Kyoko says as she bows politely.

Sayuri watches as Kyoko passes by them and heads in the direction of her room. _Kyoko-chan…_ She looks at Saena and Arata. "I apologize but I must do the same. It was good to see you Arata-san. Saena-san I will have someone show you to your room." With that last word, Sayuri turns to follow after Kyoko just as the worker who took Saena's bags away returns to show her to her room.

With every else gone, Saena asks the worker to wait as she and Arata step just outside so that they can speak in private. Arata casually leans against the wall while she crosses her arms in front of him. "You're early," he states.

"I take what time off I can get. How are things with that daughter of mine?"

Sighing heavily, Arata runs a hand through his hair in annoyance. "She's so plain it's ridiculous. Who would've thought someone as messed up as you would have a daughter so… boring?"

Saena scoffs at his remark. "I didn't ask about what you think of her. I couldn't care less. I want to know what she thinks of you."

"She thinks I'm some stupid boy who's doing what 'daddy' wants him to- inherit an inn. She doesn't suspect anything. However…"

Saena perks at his hesitation. "What?"

"That Tsuruga-san… I don't think he's buying it. He knows something is up." Arata thinks back to Ren's expression when he had smiled at Ren tauntingly in the woods. _Not that I need to tell __you__ about that…_

"I see… I'll have to think of something to take care of him. He's possibly the only one that can influence Kyoko to go back to Tokyo." _But how to do it… I can't hurt him. He's so popular it'd create an uproar. I have to think of something…_

* * *

At that same time, Sayuri is approaching Kyoko's door as she spots Ren heading in the same direction. "Oh, Tsuruga-san. Good evening," she says brightly as she bows.

"Hello. Is Kyoko in?" Ren smiles.

"Yes, she should be in her room…" Sayuri pauses and Ren looks at her questioningly. "Actually, Tsuruga-san, may I have a moment of your time?"

Ren can tell that whatever she wants to talk about is important, so he nods. "Of course."

The two go to a private room where they can talk "So," she begins, "A lot has happened recently and I realized that I haven't had much opportunity to speak to you about it all. Especially since Saena arrived just now…"

Ren is startled by the news as he wasn't expecting her to arrive so soon. "I see." _The guy keeping track of her told the President she'd be arriving in a few days. I can't believe she's here already. _

"Yes… It seems Kyoko and Arata-san were in town together when they ran into her and brought her back here. She didn't say much, but I could tell Kyoko was uncomfortable."

Ren doesn't like the idea of Arata and Kyoko spending time together, but he doesn't respond. Instead he just listens intently to her every word as he tries to figure out what to do. He has been in Kyoto for several days already and he knows he has to return to work soon. _Damm*t!_ _I'm going to run out of time if I don't think of something soon._

Sayuri continues, "Kyoko was about to explain to me what is going on with her and her mother, but we were interrupted. Even without her telling me, I can tell it's something serious. Tsuruga-san I need your help… I think you recall my words the other day."

Ren thinks back to his first encounter with Sayuri:

_"If you truly love her like you say you do, then promise me you will take whatever pain she has buried deep within her away. She won't tell me what happened, but I can see something burdening her that is more than just a lost job." She looks down, remembering the expressions she has caught Kyoko making when she thought no one was looking. "Her heart has been shattered." She looks back up at Ren. "Fix it."_

"Yes. I remember," Ren says firmly.

"Good. I think it's time to fix her heart... Saena being here is not a good thing. I know that I was the one to set up an omiai for Kyoko, but that was a mistake. It's you she should be with… in Tokyo. Can you help me to understand what happened with her job there?"

The two continue talking as Ren shares all he knows, catching Sayuri up to date with the incidents between Kyoko and Saena. Sayuri just listens the whole time, nodding and shaking her head at different times. By the end of it all, a tear falls from Sayuri's cheek.

"I can't believe she's been through all of that. That Saena… She's worse off than I thought. Hitting your own child… Shotaro may drive me crazy sometimes but there should be no parent who feels right treating their child like that. And now she's here…" Sayuri stands abruptly. "I understand." Looking down at Ren, she smiles in thanks. "I will take care of Saena as much as I can. You go to Kyoko. Do what you have to do… She doesn't need to be here. She needs to go _home_ with you."

Ren also stands up as he observes the expression on her face. _This woman… _Ren bows deeply. "Thank you for caring for Kyoko like you do. I'm glad she has someone like you in her life." He then turns on his heel and heads for Kyoko's room. He knocks on her door lightly.

"Yes?" Kyoko calls from the other side.

"It's me." He knows she will recognize his voice.

There is a pause before she calls for him to enter. As he enters he sees her working at a small table in her dimly lit room. Normally it would be bright in there without her lights on, but the world outside has put a shadow over everything and thunder begins to roll in. Rain starts to come down steadily and Kyoko looks out her window as lighting lights up the sky for a moment.

"Looks like it'll be a while before the rain lets up." She stands and walks over to Ren because he is standing beside the light switch. Before her extended hand can flip the switch, Ren catches it and brings it to his chest to hold it tenderly against him.

"Kyoko, we need to talk," Ren murmurs.

She looks at their entwined hands. "Yes, I need to talk to you too."

"What is it?"

She shakes her head. "No you go first. You came to me first."

Ren chuckles slightly. _As polite as ever._ "Alright then. I want you to come back to Tokyo with me." _If she doesn't understand then it's best to be blunt._

She begins to hang her head is sadness, "I ca-"

"I know you think you can't," Ren says as he catches her chin and lifts her face. "You think you have to stay here because you promised to run this inn, but this is what Fuwa-san wants also."

"Sayuri-san…?" Kyoko is confused. She thought Sayuri would want her to stay.

"Yes… She came to me about it. She knows how I feel about you so she asked me to do whatever I could to make you happy again."

_She asked that… Then did he do all of this just to do what she asked? He's so nice he probably couldn't refuse. _"I see… So that's why you confessed..."

_What?_ Ren doesn't follow at first, but he then realizes what she means. _She's too dense for her own good..._ "No. I confessed before she even asked me to invite you back with me."

Finally Kyoko gathers her courage to ask him her question. "Ren… Why are you here?"

Ren studies her face before answering. _So she really doesn't get it…_ "Kyoko… when I told you how I felt and you reciprocated those feelings I thought you realized the answer then… If not, then I guess I have to make it clear…" He slowly steps closer to her and brings his hands to her face without ever breaking eye contact. "Kyoko…" His dark eyes draw her in as he brings his face down to hers. He whispers onto her lips, "I came here to make you mine…" A shiver runs up her spine as Ren's lips land tenderly on hers. There kiss is short lived however as Kyoko's door suddenly opens.

"So that's how it is." _Fine, screw the act. _Arata leans against the door to Kyoko's room with his arms crossed.

"A-Arata-san!" Kyoko squeaks in surprise. She tries to take a step away from Ren, but he wraps his arms around her waist- effectively holding her in place.

"Yes, this is how it is. We're dating," Ren says matter-of-factly as he pulls Kyoko closer. Kyoko blushes furiously at his declaration.

Arata glares at their embrace and approaches them. "It's okay. I knew this would happen. I didn't think I'd be lucky enough to happen upon it myself though."

_Lucky?_ Kyoko is confused by his words. "Ara-"

"Honestly I'm thankful I don't have to keep up the good guy act. It does nothing for me." He is now glaring down at Kyoko. "I heard a bit of what he said. It might be true that Fuwa-san is okay with you leaving, but she might not keep that up for long."

Kyoko tries once more to step out of Ren's arms and this time he lets her. Facing Arata head on now, she sternly asks, "What are you talking about?"

"You see, that Imai family wasn't that wealthy… Until recently. We found ways to come into some money. Like that it would be easy to buy this ratty inn and put Fuwa-san out of business if a certain wedding doesn't occur."

Kyoko could feel her heart drop. Ren takes her hand and squeezes reassuringly, though he is also at a loss for words. _Sh*t._

Arata chuckles menacingly. "I'll leave you two to think it over." He steps out of Kyoko's room and turns to see Sho listening in on their conversation. He simply smirks as him and bumps into him as he walks past. Sho enters Kyoko's room completely pissed off. He looks down at Kyoko and Ren's hands that are still intertwined.

"So you two really are dating," he practically spits out. _I'll just deal with that later. _"Whatever. I've been doing some research on his family. They have some kind of shady dealings, but it's true they're loaded now."

"If they're so well off then what do they want with this place?" Ren asks.

Sho shrugs. "If I had to guess I'd say Arata's just killing time. He knows Saena somehow so he's probably doing it for her."

At her mother's name, Kyoko bristles. _That's it… That's enough!_ "I'm going to talk to her," she says as she storms out of her room and Sho and Ren follow behind her in concern. The three approach the front of the inn to try to find out what room she is in, but they find her with Sayuri and all of her luggage. _What's going on…?_

"You've got to be kidding me. You can't just tell me to leave," Saena seethes.

Not fazed by her tone, Sayuri bows. "I apologize dear customer, but I just realized that all of our room are booked."

"What about the one I was just in!?"

"I seem to have forgotten that it was booked ahead of time, thus causing it to be empty until my patron arrives later today." Sayuri holds her bow and speaks with no emotion.

Saena notices Kyoko. "Kyoko, let me stay in your room," she demands.

Sayuri speaks up before Kyoko can respond, "I apologize but her room is only fit for one person. I do not have the accommodations for you to stay there." Arata happens to pass by at that time and stops to listen with interest.

With everyone together, the room is filled with tension. The rain pouring outside is the only sound filling the room as Saena struggles to come up with ideas for her to stay. She looks at Arata who is smugly watching her and anger suddenly flares up in her in and her desperation shows through. "Don't just stand there, say something! Help me out, you brat!"

Everyone but Sayuri knows of Arata's true behavior now, so she is the only one to gasp when the words escapes Saena's mouth. She stands up straight with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, who were you speaking to?"

Saena glares at Sayuri. "That as*hole you _chose_ for my daughter," she says with sarcasm tainting her words.

"What do you mean by that?" Sayuri asks in horror. She didn't think that Arata would be anyone to be suspicious of.

Saena pauses. "You know what? Figure it out yourself." She grabs her things and heads out into the rain. With it coming down so hard, it isn't long before she disappears from sight. With her gone, all the eyes in the room turn to Arata.

Sayuri slowly steps up to Arata and slaps him. "Get out."

"Wait…!" Kyoko speaks up. "If you do that his family will ruin this inn!"

Sayuri looks at Kyoko for a moment. "I've been here long before the Imai family's wealth. If they think they can take me down that easily then they can go ahead and try." Her challenge is clear in her words.

"Fuwa-san, please! You don't know what they might do," Kyoko pleads.

Arata shrugs and heads for the door. "Whatever you say, old lady. You should listen to Kyoko." Sho and Ren are irritated by his use of her name, but he doesn't notice it. He grabs his cellphone from his pocket, hits speed dial and heads out into the rain. "I need a ride," he says into the phone. Once he is out of earshot he adds, "…and a favor." _If that b*tch is done with me then I'm done with her. _"She should be wandering around. Find Saena Mogami."

* * *

**Again, if you didnt read my note at the beginning then please go back and read it so that you know who Sayuri is. One day I may go back and change all the 'Fuwa-san's, but until then I will have it starting here. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks ;)**


	16. Murder

**What a crazy month! My birthday was on the 9th, the next week I was on vacation, and then the week after that I started school and and internship. I've missed the feeling of writing creatively! I hope you enjoy this chapter :) Thanks for reading! **

* * *

_"Fuwa-san, please! You don't know what they might do," Kyoko pleads._

_Arata shrugs and heads for the door. "Whatever you say, old lady. You should listen to Kyoko." Sho and Ren are irritated by his use of her name, but he doesn't notice it. He grabs his cellphone from his pocket, hits speed dial and heads out into the rain. "I need a ride," he says into the phone. Once he is out of earshot he adds, "…and a favor. "_If that b*tch is done with me then I'm done with her._" She should be wandering around. Find Saena Mogami."_

* * *

Once Arata is gone, Sayuri turns to the three left in the room. "Would someone please explain the situation with Imai-kun?"

Kyoko and Ren remain silent as they try to wrap their heads around the events that have just taken place. Sho however does not hesitate to speak up. "He's a pig!"

At his declaration, Sayuri simply rolls her eyes. "I was able to see that much from that exchange just now." She looks over at a dejected Kyoko. "What I want to know is what you meant by 'his family will ruin the inn'."

Kyoko finally looks up at Sayuri. "I'm so sorry! This is my fault. He told us that if I didn't marry him then his family would swallow up your inn!" Ren puts an arm around Kyoko's shoulder as Sayuri's heart is warmed at the sight.

_I see…_ She smiles broadly, stunning Kyoko who was slowly sinking into her own personal black hole. "I heard the news of the Imai's wealth. They can try all they want, they will never destroy Fuwa Ryokan." _There's no way I'll let you marry him when you already have your important someone._

"But you don't know that! They might do something horrible!" Kyoko is desperate for some sign of what to do to protect everyone.

Sayuri steps up to Kyoko and places a hand on her shoulder, beside Ren's hand. "Believe me, dear. It will be okay."

* * *

That night, Kyoko is sitting at her desk going over the events of the day. She tries to believe in Sayuri's words, but struggles to remain optimistic. _What if he does something to the inn? Or Fuwa-san…!_ A shiver runs down her spine and she pulls the blanket that is around her tighter. Just then there is a knock on her door and she gets up and slides it open an inch to find Ren standing there. He says nothing as he opens the door more and steps inside, startling Kyoko with his forcefulness. Closing it behind him, he wraps his arms around her slender body that is slightly trembling.

She steps out of his embrace and puts on the best smile she can muster. _I don't want to drag him into this. What if Arata tries to hurt him? _"What are you doing here this late?"

Ren narrows his eyes at her and takes a step towards her. "Don't even try to act in front of me."

Kyoko blinks at him with curiosity, but betrays herself with a step away from him in response. "What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." He then takes forceful strides toward her that makes her back against a wall in her room. A window to her left lights up momentarily with a flash of lightning, followed by a thunder that makes her jump. She looks outside it to see the world blackened by the night sky and rain that is hiding the moon. When she looks back, Ren has both of his hands on either side of her and is leaning towards her.

"W-what are you doing?" she asks, startled.

He doesn't answer her. Instead he just stands there, watching the girl he loves still visually trembling. He sighs heavily and places his forehead against hers. "Kyoko." His breathe caresses her face as he whispers her name, making her shiver.

"Y-yes?" she closes her eyes at the intensity of his gaze.

"I love you," he states simply.

Kyoko blushes at his declaration. "I love you too…" she murmurs.

"Do you?"

Surprised, her eyes fly open. _What?_ "Yes…"

"Then why are you putting up a front with me?"

"I-I…!" She struggles to find the words to say.

"Do you love me…?" He asks gently.

"Yes," she responds and he kisses one of her eyelids.

"Do I love you?" he asks at he gazes at her again.

She blushes at his question and her heart swells at the thought. "You… do."

Ren smiles slightly and kisses her other eye lid, causing her to blush more. "Do you want to be with me?"

She looks straight at him as she responds. "I do…"

He softly pecks her nose. "Do I want to be with you?"

"If not, then you have some conversation issues…" she responds slightly sarcastically, but with her face on fire.

Ren smiles broadly chuckles as he presses his lips to her forehead. "I do." He cups her face with both of her hands and forces her to look right at him. "So… If I want to be with you and you want to be with me, then what does that mean?"

"That… we're together…?" Kyoko asks.

"It means that you're not alone anymore." He says each words with as much force behind them as possible, hoping that it will finally sink in for her. Finally she understands his game. "I'm here. Let me help you."

"I am," Kyoko says. _Or at least I thought I was…_

"Then don't act in front of me…! I know you. I've seen when you've been truly happy. You smile so brightly that it makes me fall in love with you again every time. Even if I denied it for a while… So I can see when the lights start to fade… Let me help you," he says again. "You're not alone anymore. I won't let you be."

"But that's selfish of me…" Kyoko still struggles to let his meaning hit her heart. _I'm scared to completely give into this man… I'll never be able to go back._

"No… This is my own desire. You wanted a prince charming. I'm sorry to say, but I am no prince." Kyoko is about to protest, but he slightly shakes his head to silence her. "Let me be your shield." She stares at him while his words begin to touch her heart unbidden. He lifts a hand to her cheek as tears begin to stream down her face. "Don't move away from me again. Let me hold you at times like these…" He engulfs her in his arms and buries his face in her hair. "Kyoko… let me love you… I'm not like those who hurt you. I will never let you go."

Kyoko completely lets go in the arms of the one person that has ever made her feel whole. Only his words have the power to change her completely. She knows that after this night, she will never be able to return from loving him. She tries to speak between her sobs, but Ren hushes her, promising that they will talk in the morning. So that night she lets her tears flow until she finally falls asleep in his embrace. Ren lays her down in her bed and crawls in behind her while she groggily lifts her head and places it back on his arm, quickly falling into a deep sleep. He watches her for some time, enjoying the feel of her fitting perfectly to him. He kisses the top of her head. _I mean it… I won't let you go._

He looks up at the ceiling as he recalls his conversation with Lory about his past girlfriends. He remembers being asked about the times when they broke up and how easy it was for him to give them up. Now he knows for certain that he had never been in love until now. Looking down at a sleeping Kyoko, he is unable to see a future where she is not there in his embrace. He sighs and laughs at the same time. _Man… I'm in trouble. _He groans at he turns onto his side and falls into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Arata is riding in silence back to his house, thinking about his next step. He had just gotten off of the phone with one of his 'associates'. He remembers the man's two simple words. _'It's done.'_ Arata chuckles. _Honestly, Kyoko and Fuwa Ryokan should be thanking me for getting rid of their headache. I hope they sleep well tonight. They'll be up for a surprise by morning, I'm sure._ _Even if they do recover from this, their reputation will take a huge hit._ He laughs again at the thought.

* * *

"Madame! Please wake up!" a young girl calls outside of Sayuri's room.

"What is it?" she asks while she struggles to wake up after a late night of work.

"It's the police. They are outside and desire to speak with you and Mogami-sama!"

Sayuri is suddenly wide awake and quickly gets up to make herself presentable. She quickly opens the door to her room to talk to the worried young woman. "Wake Kyoko-chan up. I will go speak to them." The girl scurries off and Sayuri finds two policemen waiting in the foyer of the inn, one is visibly older than the other and appears to be the superior.

"Good morning" they both great her.

She bows politely. "Good morning. How may I help you?"

"We have reason to believe that Kyoko Mogami is staying here. Is this true?" the young officer asks.

"Yes. That is right." _What could this be about?_

The younger officer responds again: "We think it would be best if we spoke to you two together." Right on cue, the door to the foyer slides open and Ren and Kyoko and enter. The policemen exchange meaningful glances at the sight of Ren being there. "This matter might be better discussed in private."

Kyoko steps in front of Ren. "Whatever it is that you need to speak with me about, he can hear too. He's with me."

Both of the officers are surprised by the news of Japan's number one bachelor being snatched up. Remaining professional, the superior officer speaks up first. "I understand. Then do you know a Saena Mogami?"

Kyoko stiffens at her mother's name. _What does she have to do with this? _"Yes. She is my mother."

The officers nod as if they already knew this information. "When was the last time any of you saw Mogami-san?"

This time, Sayuri answers. "We all saw her last night. About 21:00 hours. She was requesting a room, but I did not have enough space for her."

The young officer jots down notes on a small pad in his hand.

"May we ask what this is about?" Sayuri asks curiously.

The policemen exchange more looks as the older one takes off his hat. "We have some unfortunate news. I think it would best if you sat down, Mogami-san."

Kyoko is surprised that the man is addressing her. She thought that her mother had maybe done something to hurt the inn. _Surely that would hurt, but wouldn't that hurt Fuwa-san more?_ "Wh-what is it?" Suddenly she is filled with a deep sense of dread.

The officer hesitates before slowly continuing. "Our patrol this morning found a body in a rather remote area, though it still receives a decent amount of foot traffic."

The color instantly drains from Kyoko's face. _A… what…?_

"She had some identification on her, and we were able to find out about her next of kin. I am sorry to say that your mother was killed last night." The officer does his best to be as clear and concise as possible.

Kyoko begins to violently tremble. Ren quickly steps up to her to provide support before her legs give out. _No… no… no! Mother!_ A sob escapes her throat. "W-what ha-happened?"

Sayuri now also steps up to Kyoko and she and Ren usher Kyoko to a couch so that she may sit. They sit down on either side of her. Now both of the officers glance at Sayuri. "May we ask about your whereabouts last night?"

Sayuri is shocked at their question. "Excuse me?"

"I think it would be best to just answer the question," the young officer answers.

"I was here. I was working late last night before going to bed around 1:00."

"Can anyone corroborate that?"

Sayuri thinks before answering. "It's possible some of my workers were also up late, but I'm not sure. Feel free to ask them. But why are you asking me about my night?"

The superior officer answers her. "We received a tip that you and Saena Mogami were not on good terms. Someone recalls seeing you make her leave this inn with rather aggressive means."

Sayuri, Kyoko, and Ren's thoughts all turn to one person. _Arata!_


	17. Fighting Back

**Do you know what it's like to be a full time college student with an internship? It. Is. Exhausting. And very time consuming... So while I have not given up on this fanfiction, I have had to slow my progress drastically. As you can tell with this chapter, it is coming to an end VERY soon. So I hope you enjoy it and the final moment of this fanfiction. PLEASE COMMENT and let me know what you've thought about it. I may very well only have one more chapter for it, so I really want to know now. Also, let me know if there are any last additions you would like to see happen. I am very willing to add something in for some fan service. I'm feeling generous what with Saena appearing in the actual manga now :) I am a happy happy girl! Oh and you know... my story coming to and end soon too :P But mostly because of Saena!**

**(p.s. I want my readers to know that I am no where near the skill of, nor will I ever claim to be, a professional writer. I do it for fun! Thus I may not have the best sentence structure or grammar, but I do what I can to convey the story I couldn't help but share. Please keep that in mind while you read, and if you cannot get past that, then I do not mind if you stop reading. Life goes on, and it goes on quite beautifully :) )**

* * *

_Sayuri thinks before answering. "It's possible some of my workers were also up late, but I'm not sure. Feel free to ask them. But why are you asking me about my night?"_

_The superior officer answers her. "We received a tip that you and Saena Mogami were not on good terms. Someone recalls seeing you make her leave this inn with rather aggressive means."_

_Sayuri, Kyoko, and Ren's thoughts all turn to one person. _Arata!

* * *

"Yes, I understand." Lory pauses as he listens to the one on the other end of his cell phone. "I see…" Another pause. Lory sighs with the weight of the world coming down on him and all those involved. "I will take care of this." With those resolute words, Lory hangs up just as a knock sounds on the door to his oversized office. "I have Sato-sama for you_._" "You may enter," Lory calls back to his faithful servant. Moments later, Ryouta enters with a serious expression clouding his face.

"How bad is it?" Ryouta asks without bothering with the formalities of speaking to a superior. Lory glances at him, his face grave and conveying his message loud and clear- it's bad, really bad. "What do you want me to do?"

"Go there and assist where you can. You have worked with scandals before, and even if this is more serious than simply some fickle star's affair, you know how to work under this kind of pressure and resolve a great number of conflicts. The deceased is a lawyer, so there will be strong opposition if they're convinced she is guilty. I need you to be there for support and I will do what I can from here." Lory says all this with a silent fury after his conversation on the phone with Ren, who had given him all of the details of the past few days with Arata and Saena.

Ryouta watches his expression as he speaks. _I've never seen him like this._ "I understand. I will gather some things and leave immediately." Without waiting for a reply, Ryouta turns on his heels and hurriedly leaves. _Kyoko-san…_

* * *

The room is filled with a heavy silence as Kyoko, Sho, and Sayuri stare at the floor of Sayuri's office. Then Ren opens the door to the room and enters, looking around at the three who are contemplating what to do. "I called the president," he tells Kyoko who then looks at him with no expression on her face.

"Why…?" she asks in a whisper, not understanding why he would need to call Lory. In fact, her brain has almost completely stopped functioning since the police had left as her only thoughts are on what they could possibly do to fight this.

"LME is a powerful company, which means that the president is a powerful man with equally as powerful connections. Even if it's just a little, we need all the help we can get."

"Ah…" is all Kyoko mutters, going back her swirling thoughts. _What do we do…? What do we do…?_

Ren sighs and smiles slightly, "I'll go make some tea to warm us up." As he turns to leave again, Sho stands up and silently follows him out. Ren stops and turns towards him once they are both out of the room and down the hall a ways.

"What did that president of yours say?" Sho demandingly asks.

"He said he would do what he can for us."

Sho sneers, "basically we're on our own. He's useless."

Ren regards him coolly, "I don't see you or your company doing anything. Instead of sitting around doing nothing but badgering me, why don't you do something for your mother and home."

Sho pauses as he contemplates Ren's harsh words, and then smirks. "You know, I remember when we first met I tried to piss you off and you kept that dam*ed fake smile plastered on your face. What happened to those times? Now all I see is someone that sucks at being the 'nice guy'."

Ren glares for a moment and then puts on his perfected gentlemanly smile. "I don't know what you're talking about." He then turns to walk away and Sho laughs loudly.

"So you _can _still make that completely fake smile!" Sho matches his step with Ren's as they head toward the kitchen together. "Watch Kyoko," he says as they reach the kitchen and Ren puts water on to boil. Ren stops and looks at Sho inquisitively. "I _am_ the one here who grew up with her. I can tell when she's blaming herself; she used to do it all the time when her mom would get angry with her, and she's doing it again now."

Ren quietly goes back to preparing the tea, "You don't have to tell me that. I knew her when she was younger too… I will take care of her."

"You better keep your word- wait. What? What did you mean by 'I knew her when she was younger'!?" Sho goes from leaning against the wall opposite of Ren to standing right beside him.

"Nothing, really… She and I met when we were both younger is all." Ren pours the tea into individual cups and carefully loads them on a tray, but when he turns to take them back to Sayuri's office, Sho steps in his way.

"When?"

Ren looks at him and sighs, "She was about 8 years old and I was 12 when I was visiting the area and I ran into her somewhere near here." _I'm not about to tell you where though._ For a short while, whenever she was having difficulty with her mother, she would come find me and I did what I could to cheer her up."

Sho lets Ren's words sink in and then he recalls when he and Kyoko had worked together to make his music video, and Kyoko had yelled at him about going somewhere else to cry because he never knew how to handle it. Sho's fists ball up. "That was you…?" he mumbles.

"What?"

Taking a few deep breathes, Sho calms himself down and shakes his head. _I'm not letting him know about that._ "Nothing, let's get back to them," he turns and leaves a slightly confused Ren behind.

* * *

The next day, the four are working on a plan once again in Sayuri's office when the door opens and a worker ushers Ryouta in. The worker wordlessly leaves him behind and he takes in his surroundings- Kyoko and Ren sitting closely together on a couch and discussing plans, Sho standing at a window and talking intensely on his phone, and Sayuri working quietly at her desk. They all look up though upon his entrance.

"Eh? Ryouta-san?" Kyoko squeaks, "What are you doing here?"

He smiles warmly at seeing Kyoko, who has settled down a bit after having time to think through the recent events. _She looks better than I thought_. "The president sent me to offer my assistance."

Sho hangs up his phone and approaches Ryouta abruptly. "And who are you?"

Ryouta seems unfazed by Sho's domineering actions and smiles at him. "I am Kyoko's manager, Ryouta Sato." He then turns to address Kyoko, "The president thought I might be able to help out since I've had to deal with some sticky situations before." He walks over to Kyoko and kneels down before her, taking her hands in his. "I am here to support you."

Still regarding him with some unease, Ren steals Kyoko's hands away and smiles his typical fake smile at him. "Thank you for your concern and for coming all this way- we can use the help."

Assessing Ren's actions, Ryouta smirks at the both of them. "I see… So it's finally happened." He stands up nonchalantly, dusting himself off and slightly pouting. "I guess it's too late to make a move myself now, huh?"

"Eh!?" Kyoko squeaks as Ren tightens his hand on hers and Sho takes a step towards Ryouta.

Noticing the rising tension in the room, Ryouta holds up his hands, palms facing outward, and smiles innocently. "Kidding! I'm only kidding."

Having enough of the tense atmosphere, Sayuri finally stands up and approaches Ryouta with a professional smile on her face. "Excuse me, but I do not think we have had the pleasure of meeting before. I am Sayuri Fuwa, Shoutaro's mother and the one who took care of Kyoko during her stay here. It is nice to meet you," she adds with a respectful bow.

"The pleasure is all mine," Ryouta comments with a bow, switching from his teasing mode to business mode immediately. "Thank you for taking care of her while she is here. I'm sure there is no better feeling than going back to a place that feels like home," he states while glancing Kyoko's way with a kind smile.

Startled by his warm words, Kyoko smiles back at him and goes to stand beside him to face Sayuri. "That's true. I don't think I've expressed my thanks enough…" She bows, "Thank you for everything until now. I'm sorry I've pulled you into my problems, but I promise I will get you out of this no matter what it takes." She squares her shoulders and looks directly at Sayuri, "We won't let Arata get away with this."

"Agreed," Ryouta adds. "And I have a plan..."

* * *

That night Kyoko is sitting alone in her room, staring aimlessly out her window at the darkness that has seemingly stolen away all the light of the world. Then a shooting star passes by, filling Kyoko with at least a bit of childlike wonder.

"Kyoko-chan?"

She jumps lightly at the sound of her name, but recovers quickly when she realizes that the voice belongs to the only person in the world that she considers family now. "Come in, Fuwa-san."

Sliding the door open quietly, Sayuri peeks her head in to check on Kyoko before entering completely and closing the door behind her. "I thought you might be sleeping. I was hoping to speak with you about… your mother," finishing her sentence carefully, Sayuri examines Kyoko's expression for even minute changes. Though there are none, Sayuri can sense a hollowness in Kyoko's eyes that gives away what she is truly feeling.

Kyoko says nothing as Sayuri approaches her seats herself beside her. "Kyoko-chan…" she begins while placing her hand on Kyoko's cheek, which she notices is cold. "You and she may not have been on the best of terms, but that does not change the fact that she was your mother… I knew Sayuri-chan before you both lost your father. She was not always a callous woman… She just lost her way after losing him."

Tears well up in Kyoko's eyes as she vigorously shakes her head to stop from being overwhelmed by everything. "I'm fine. I always loved my mother, no matter what she did. I couldn't help it… But she and I hadn't connected in a long time. That's why even now, with her… gone… Somehow I am okay."

Sayuri tries to read more into her expression but can only see a strong young woman- so she smiles. It is the first true smile she has been able to muster up since the visit from the police. "We'll make Arata pay for this, Kyoko-chan. This will all be finished soon…"

* * *

Laughing haughtily, Arata is lounging half naked on a bed while his latest conquest is brushing her hair in a mirror across the room of the hotel room, with her dress and necessary accompaniments back on. "This really is better than some boring arranged marriage with a dimwitted chick."

The woman lightly laughs at his audacity, "that's _so_ kind of you to say about someone," she adds sarcastically.

"Seriously though! You wouldn't believe the sh*t I had to go through because of her. And her mom was a real piece of work. That b*tch was f*cking crazy."

Walking over to straddle him, the woman wraps her arms around his neck and lets out a sultry chuckle as she bends to kiss his neck and whisper in his ear. "Don't tell me you're still involved with them… I don't want to have someone to be jealous over."

He laughs once again, "Right. As if I'd let that go on for long. Nah, I took care of the engagement _and_ that b*tches mother." He flips them both over so that he is now hovering over her on the bed. "Don't worry, you have my full attention…"

She chuckles and puts her hand against his chest, pushing lightly so that he is forced to back away from her. "Unfortunately I have some things to take care of. It's a busy day, and as much as I'd _love_ to spend it with you…" she lifts herself up and lightly presses her lips to his, "I have to go." Quickly getting up, the woman leaves a smirking Arata behind.

"You'll be back!" he yells after her in a joking manner.

With him out of earshot, the woman rolls her eyes and wipes her lips off. "You wish, as*hole." She exits the hotel and walks to a nearby alley where there is a waiting Ryouta.

"Well?"

"You should be glad I'm used to doing whatever it takes to get a job done. That guy was disgusting," she adds with a shiver as goose bumps make their way to the surface of her skin. "I'm surprised I kept my cringes at bay the whole time."

Ryouta snorts at her comments, but holds out his hand. "That's not what I was asking about."

Pulling a recording device out of her purse, she places it in the palm of his hand. "That was the easy part compared to everything else. I just kept in my purse while I had nowhere else to put it. Add in my need for privacy when I showered and got dressed, and I was able to hide it pretty well in a certain area."

Ryouta raises an eyebrow as he wraps his hand around the device, "Oh really?"

She crosses her arms and puts on a face of annoyance. "Don't be as gross as him, please. I can only handle so much sleaze before I feel like I need another shower."

He laughs rowdily, "I'm kidding!" Sobering up, he adds: "But thanks. We needed this…"

Shaking off her annoyance, she smirks. "That's more like it. You're welcome. It really wasn't hard… The guy was so proud of himself he didn't hesitate to blab about it. Anyway… I wouldn't admit it to his face but after working with him and having his acting affect mine in such a drastic way, I owed Tsuruga-san. He made people want to hire me." She turns and starts to walk away, "Now I can call us even!"

Ryouta watches her walk away and silently thanks her once more. _We got him…!_


	18. Breaking Free

**First I would like to say thank you to for reading over this chapter and helping me make it better! You're awesome! Second I want to thank my readers for sticking with me until the end. This will be the last chapter for this little story arc, but I will continue it in a sequel that focuses a little more on Ren and Kyoko's relationship. Third, I just wanted to remind everyone of a few characters that I added to the story that are not originally in Skip Beat! Ryouta Sato - Kyoko's manager. Sayuri Fuwa- Sho's mother. Arata Imai - The man who was supposed to marry Kyoko but turned out to be a jerk. Lastly, when words are _italicized_ then they are thoughts. If they are surrounded by quotation marks then they are spoken. Okay... I think that's it. Please review! Nothing makes a writer happier than to receive reviews. **

* * *

_Ryouta laughs rowdily, "I'm kidding!" Sobering up, he adds: "But thanks. We needed this…"_

_Shaking off her annoyance, the woman who recorded Arata's confession smirks. "That's more like it. You're welcome. It really wasn't hard… The guy was so proud of himself he didn't hesitate to blab about it. Anyway… I wouldn't admit it to his face but after working with him and having his acting affect mine in such a drastic way, I owed Tsuruga-san. He made people want to hire me." She turns and starts to walk away, "Now I can call us even!"_

_Ryouta watches her walk away and silently thanks her once more. _We got him…!

* * *

Ryouta hurriedly returns to Fuwa Ryokan to share what is stored in the recording device that is now safely hidden away in his pocket. He walks through the front door and makes his way to where he knows everyone is anxiously awaiting his arrival to see the fruits of his labor. Entering Sayuri's office, everyone sits up in hopes of hearing about some sort of breakthrough. Digging into his suit pocket, Ryouta produces the device and holds it up for the others to see. "I have it."

Sho is the first to move as he gets up from his seat and walks over to where Ryouta is standing. Taking the recorder in his hand, he presses play. Arata's laughter fills the room and everyone under the sound clench their fist.

_"This really is better than some boring arranged marriage with a dimwitted chick,"_ Arata haughtily proclaims.

"That f*cker," Sho says in response before Kyoko and Sayuri shush him.

Then there is the sound of their accomplice chuckling. _"That's _so_ kind of you to say about someone."_

_"Seriously though! You wouldn't believe the sh*t I had to go through because of her. And her mom was a real piece of work. That b*tch was f*cking crazy."_

Now it is Kyoko who speaks up: "Okay, _now_ you can say that Shotaro."

"Just keep listening," Ren says as he squeezes Kyoko's hand that is trembling in anger.

_"Don't tell me you're still involved with them… I don't want to have someone to be jealous over."_

Arata laughs again_, "Right. As if I'd let that go on for long. Nah, I took care of the engagement __and __that b*tches mother. Don't worry, you have my full attention…"_

Sho abruptly presses the stop button on the device. "Okay, I think that's enough of that."

Kyoko shivers in disgust as she thinks back on her conversations with Arata. "I can't believe I ever thought that guy was decent. He's…"

"A f*cker," Sho says once again as if it was the most obvious way to describe him.

"Yes. Yes. We know what you think of him Shotaro," His mother chides as Sho roughly plants himself on one side of Kyoko, who is seated on a couch with Ren. Sayuri stands and retrieves the recorder, examining it like the pertinent piece of precious evidence it is. "Do you really think this will work…?" she asks, doubtful.

Ryouta heaves a heavy sigh and runs his hand through his hair. "It might not be good enough to prove he did it… He didn't say exactly _what_ he did after all. But it will be enough to get the police's sights set in the right direction. If we use the best lawyers LME can provide, I think we can make a strong case to prove your innocence."

"LME? Why would they help me out like that?" Shock laces Sayuri's voice as she asks this.

Ryouta smiles at her and glances at Kyoko who now has her head resting on Ren's shoulder in quiet contemplation. "Just trust me when I say our president would be more than happy to offer his assistance." _Knowing him, he'd do whatever he could to thank the one who helped those two get together. _

"You don't think they're retaliate, do you?" Kyoko asks, full of concern for the consequences of taking on the Imai family. She remember meeting Arata's father and how simple the man seemed. _I would have never guessed they were like that…_ she thinks as she continues to consider her past experiences with Arata.

"Hm?" Ryouta looks at Kyoko again. "Oh, the Imai family? It's possible. We will just have to ready for it."

Sayuri brings her hands to her chest in a wordless prayer. "I only fear the impact this will have on the inn… We have dedicated patrons, but bad press can ruin this place. If the Imai family does anything, it would probably be to try to bring this place down even more fervently than they already are."

Sho shifts in his seat, throwing his feet up onto a coffee table situated in front of him and placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. "Who do you think I am?"

His mother looks at him questioningly. "What are you talking about?"

"I may not be Japan's number one guy like some people," he says as he shoots a pointed look at Ren, "but I'm up there on the list. If you need press, I can get you plenty." His cocky smirk is betrayed by eyes that give his true motives away to his mother- the desire to protect her.

Ren stands from his position on the other side of Kyoko and smiles at Sayuri. His voice is tented in sarcasm as he addresses her but glances at Sho, "And I _am_ that number one guy he wishes he was. I would be more than willing to lend you my strength." In a softer, warmer tone he adds, "I owe you for what you've done for Kyoko and me."

Overcome with emotion, tears well in her eyes as the only display of deep gratitude she can muster while her mouth fails to find the right words to express her feelings.

"Let's do this."

* * *

**1 week later**

After presenting the recording to the police, their investigations have begun to focus solely on the Imai family. According the updates Kyoko has received about her mother's murder, the evidence is beginning to stack up against them. It is only a matter of time before Arata is convicted of the crime.

"Are you sure I can't convince you stay a bit longer?" Sayuri asks Ren and Kyoko who now have their bags together at the entrance of the inn.

"Unfortunately, duty calls. My manager is probably throwing a fit at my refusal to return until now. I have work backed up pretty badly…" Ren says with a wry smile.

_Poor Yashiro-san…_ Kyoko thinks to herself as she imagines Yashiro freaking out about Ren's absense. While hugging Sayuri, Kyoko fights back the warm, stinging sensation in her eyes along with a lump in her throat that is threatening to choke her. "Thank you for everything…"

Sayuri chuckles as tears fall from her own eyes. "No, my darling girl. Thank _you_. You and your friends have saved me." She holds Kyoko out at arm's length so that she may get a good look at her, seeing the young girl she once knew replaced by a strong young woman. "Thanks to your manager's assistance and support from your company, not only have I been cleared with the police but my name has been saved… My home is saved."

The three of them look around at the bustling inn entrance as staff lead visitors to their respective rooms. Ryouta went ahead of Ren and Kyoko to give Lory an update on the situation. With the help of LME, it has been made known that not only is Ren staying there, but it is also the childhood home of Sho. Within a matter of days, the number of patrons had doubled.

"I must say, it's been a while since this place has been this busy. I will have my hands full for a while."

Feeling guilty for leaving Sayuri behind instead of inheriting the inn like she had planned, Kyoko looks dejectedly at the floor. Ren places an arm around her and pulls her close and Sayuri smiles broadly at the sight.

"Don't worry, I won't take her from you," she teasingly winks at Ren. "This much is nothing for me." She places a hand under Kyoko's chin and lifts her face until their eyes meet. "Don't you dare look sad or be ashamed. Believe me when I say that I would not have it any other way…" Looking between Ren and Kyoko, her heart swells at seeing the one she considers to be a daughter looking blissful in the arms of the one she has chosen.

However, she is not the only one who sees this exchange as a number of the fans that have gathered together at the inn stare incredulously. Whispers with a mixture of heartbreak, shock, and disbelief circulate throughout the room, but the subjects of these whispers have not even noticed. Finally they are able to be together without some sort of fear hanging over them. Little did they know that this time of peace would not last.

Kyoko and Ren gather their things and make their way to a car that has been sent by LME to bring them home. Sayuri follows behind them, quietly fixated on their linked hands. She bows in deep gratitude as their car pulls away and whisks them back to Tokyo.

In the car, Ren gazes pensively at Kyoko as she stares out at the passing world. His eyes slide to the driver of the car who is paying them no attention. Seeing that they are alone, he brings his hands to Kyoko's face and makes her face him. Her breath hitches as she observes him studying her with his intense emperor of the night look.

"What is-?" she is cut off by him unexpectedly pulling her face to his, effectively claiming her lips.

Kyoko tries to pull away from because she fears that the driver will discover them in the back, but Ren only pulls her closer.

"Ren…!" Kyoko quietly gasps, once more failing to stop an unrelenting Ren who uses her call to deepen the kiss. She finally gives into the sensation of his warmth and returns his kiss, placing both of her hands on his and leaning into him.

Ren slightly groans in frustration as he is overcome with his feelings for the girl he has finally been able to claim, his desire for her, and his need to stop before the temptation of claiming more of her overrules his reason. He places his forehead against hers, which is bright red along with the rest of her face. She gazes at his closed eyes while their mingling breaths slow with their racing hearts. Slowly they open, and he takes in the beauty of her amber eyes.

"I love you…" escapes his lips as he exhales, the wind knocked out of him from the happiness of this moment. Tears well up in Kyoko's eyes as she meekly nods and pulls his lips back to hers, allowing one last proclamation of love to make it past his lips before she claims them.

_Always…_

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED IN THE SEQUEL!** **  
**

**Coming soon: Kyoko and Ren begin their new relationship together after facing the demons of Kyoko's past together. What happens when word gets out about their relationship and Ren must protect Kyoko from vengeful fans? Why is Ren receiving several urgent calls from someone in America? The Imai family is not too happy about being ruined, and wants nothing more than to wreck Ren and Kyoko's blissful life. See what happens in the sequel to Break Through - Soaring High  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**The first chapter of the sequel has been posted! **

**Soaring High:**

Nothing ever comes easy for Ren and Kyoko. What happens when their relationship gets out and Ren must protect Kyoko from jealous fans? Why is Kuu calling him out of nowhere? What do they do when the Imai family comes seeking revenge for having their family business destroyed? With their relationship come crashing down or will is soar? Find out in this sequel to 'Break Through!

**I hope you enjoy it! I've had some trouble uploading it for some reason so if you are having any trouble please let me know. I've already had one person tell me this so I will keep monitoring it to make sure it works. Thank you for you patience.**


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